The Queen in a New Hive
by thehatterofmad
Summary: Contessa chooses a different path at the end of Speck. Taylor ends up dumped whole and hearty into Unova some time after the end of Black and White 2. Nothing's ever easy for Taylor Hebert, and this is no different.
1. 1-1

_Give Taylor Hebert a peaceful life._

Twenty-one steps. Simple - the path amounted to nothing more than neutralizing her shard completely, stabilizing her injuries and dropping her and her father off in Earth Aleph.

My handgun is drawn, and aim is taken. Two bullets, straight through. Minimal collateral. One for the Corona Pollentia, one for the Gemma.

I abort the path before it squeezes the trigger. Was this what we owed her? A peaceful life? No… we can do better by her.

_Give Taylor Hebert a happy life._

One-hundred and thirty-four steps. A bit more complex, but nothing in comparison to what I typically work with. Cripple her shard's connection. Heal her injuries. Describe to Glaistig Uaine how to reach a very particular dimension untouched by the Gold Morning. Send a message. Drop her off alone in the perfect location.

My aim is adjusted. One bullet, partial destruction of her Corona Pollentia, clean through the head. Negligible collateral.

The path squeezes the trigger.

* * *

I'm thrown through a door, my body tumbling across the earthen ground of a dense forest. The last day had been… an experience. Glaistig Uaine had spent hours healing me, cycling through powers, under cryptic instruction from Contessa. Each one clawing back another scratch of sanity from my passenger.

While Panacea and Bonesaw may have agreed that their experiment won't be reversible, Glaistig Uaine's seemingly bottomless bag of dead Capes seems to have proved them wrong, to an extent. Where the experiment had traded my range and my sanity for sheer power, The Faerie Queen seems to have traded my power in exchange for sanity.

I had no control over bugs anymore, and my range remained pitiful. I could still sense the few hundred insects in my sixteen-foot range, but not much else. Yet, I was sane once more.

I was thankful, really - a small part of my damaged mind had expected an execution, but Contessa seems to have decided to give me a second chance.

She hasn't spoken to me once, since she had shot me. I don't know what to think of that.

The Faerie Queen had only said a short goodbye. I had expected something philosophical from her, but I eventually managed to figure that something about me saddened her... She seemed to be struggling with something - conflicted.

I couldn't figure out what in particular.

My body slides to a stop, facing back through the portal. Contessa throws a duffle bag through after me, and it thumps to a rest beside me.

She goes to turn around, but stops, her face conflicted. "Despite what you may think, humanity owes you a debt that we cannot repay. So, truly, thank you, Taylor. Have a good life." A small smile graces her face before she leaves, motioning to Glaistig Uaine to close the doorway.

I'm left by myself.

The medical paralytic that I had been under wears off moments after the portal closes, and my muscles relax. That was it, then?

I hadn't been able to ask where I was going, nor had Contessa said, but I could make a reasonable guess. The message was clear: thank you for everything you've done, but you aren't welcome here anymore. You've done enough.

Exile.

The question was to where, exactly? An uninhabited world? A world soon to be struggling with the emergence of superpowers? A world inhabited entirely by normals?

I don't know, and Contessa certainly wasn't around to tell.

I pull myself up. My new arm was indistinguishable from my old one. My muscles didn't ache, and I felt refreshed - as if I hadn't waged an interdimensional war against an alien parasite god mere days ago. My fall through the portal doesn't seem to have hurt anything, either.

My costume had been repaired - a side effect of one of the more esoteric healing powers that had been used on me. Something to do with reversing time, I had noted.

I shake the thoughts from my head and open up the bag. My mask stares back out at me. A hodgepodge of other spare costume parts are folded behind it.

My eyebrows jump up. Was this a message? Knowing Contessa, it almost certainly is. But, what does she mean by it? Be a Cape in this dimension?

That was the most obvious one that she could be sending, but why? I sighed, pushing the thoughts from my mind. I can deal with it later. After a moment of indecision, I put on my mask. No use in accidentally revealing my identity now if I do decide to become a Cape later.

I rifle through the bag, taking stock of the rest of the contents. A Bowie knife, sheath and belt clip included. Four unmarked plastic water bottles, empty. A blank leather pocket notepad and a ballpoint pen. Four unmarked glass mason jars, empty.

No food, no water. I figure that means that they won't be terribly difficult to find, then.

I clip the knife to my belt - the pockets of my costume had been emptied by Contessa earlier, so it was the only weapon I had. Another message? Maybe. With another moment of consideration, I retrieve the dark grey spider-silk shawl from the bag and slip it onto my shoulders. I might need the additional protection - best to be prepared, just in case.

Besides, it would cover the bright white chitin armour pads on my upper body nicely - no use in being easy to spot if I can avoid it. Looking PR friendly may have been important once, but staying alive takes priority for now.

I take the pen and pad and put them into my back storage compartment. In a pinch, I could use the pen as a shiv. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that, but there was no use in being unrealistic about things.

Alright: I need a goal. Short term? Find food and water. Long term? Learn more information about whatever dimension I'm in. I can decide how I want to join this dimension's society - if there even is one - once I know more.

* * *

Food was easy - the bushes in these parts were laden with all sorts of berries. I had observed animals from a distance to determine which ones were safe to eat, then tested whether they were safe for humans with a small portion. I had enough faith in Contessa to be reasonably sure that they were - she wouldn't drop me in a forest without food only to poison me with the local berries. No - if she wanted me dead, she would have finished me with the first bullet.

On that note, the local fauna was outright bizarre - I had seen brightly coloured red, green and blue monkeys, strange pink mammalian bipeds and green animals that were disguised as plants yet moved about busily within hours of my arrival here.

Was this world in it's megafauna stage? I don't think there was any place back on my Earth that had such a high concentration of large animals. I hadn't spotted any Dinosaurs, so if it was it was a strange one.

They had all stayed well away from me, and I had stayed away from them, so I hadn't had to deal with any predators yet.

Water was easy too - not far from where I had been dumped was a clear stream. It seemed fairly safe, so I quenched my thirst and filled my bottles.

I had been scouting for a suitable place to make camp for the night when a shrill, alien screech pierced the quiet of the forest. It was clearly from an animal - a predator, perhaps? I started moving quickly in the direction. I want to know what I'm up against.

I found the source quickly. A pair of giant beetles locked in a fight to the death. The sight stuns me for a moment - they were both about two-thirds of the height of a person. One was a deep blue and sported a single, pronged horn sprouting from the top of it's head, resembling a Rhinoceros Beetle. The other was an earthy brown and had a pair of wickedly spiked prehensile horns on its head, resembling a Stag Beetle.

Were these somehow related to the insects I know from Earth? Or was it a coincidence? The rest of the normal sized insects were unremarkable - almost identical to the ones that I know. Perhaps these were the result of a biotinker experiment let loose?

The pair was currently locked in a headbutt. The brown beetle seemed to be trying to get the blue one in a grapple, while the blue one was simply raining punches and chops down on the brown beetle.

A giant beetle-sized furrow of earth lead to a shattered tree trunk. Had one of them thrown the other earlier? And the fight was still going on after such a blow?

What on Earth? The pair were showing… technique in their fight. Just how intelligent are these animals? My mind is drawn to Atlas, but I quickly refocus. The brown beetle manages to grapple the blue beetle, and repositions its horns to around the thorax of it's foe. It begins squeezing, and the attacks coming from the blue one become wilder.

I sneak closer. I want to know if I can sense these ones with what's left of my power. If I can, I'll be able to get an insight into their biology - I'll be able to prepare in case one comes hunting for me. Maybe I'll be able to determine their origin, too.

Sixteen feet - far too close for comfort, but I manage to sneak in seemingly undetected. Instantly, my mind blooms with insight. The pair were completely unlike the creatures that Panacea had made for me - if they were artificial, they were an absolute masterwork. Yet, they were different from the insects I was used to, too.

They were… for lack of a better word, far more vital. An energy that I couldn't quite identify suffused their very being. They were potent: each had a potential for both growth and power far above that over a mere animal.

A thought strikes me. Did they have Passengers? Surely not…

Yet, I can't quite shake the idea - their power is certainly on the level, but how? Another entity?

Contessa wouldn't, would she?

The brown beetle's horns snap together, shattering chitin and tearing the blue beetle in half with a spray of green gore. It rears backwards, letting loose a mighty screech of insectoid fury.

Time to go. The brown beetle begins devouring its meal, and I retreat, unnoticed.


	2. 1-2

I did not sleep easily that night. The forest was absolutely teeming with wildlife - the cries of countless unknown beasts pierced the night. Flashes of coloured light would break the darkness of the moonless night periodically - Blaster powers, a part of me suspected.

So too was my mind plagued by thoughts of the past few weeks. Scion. The Slaughterhouse Nine. Aster.

My friends. Lisa. Rachel. Brian. Aisha.

My father.

My colleagues. Tecton. Golem. Defiant. Dragon.

People that I'd never see again.

I didn't know whether that comforted or upset me. Maybe it did both.

In my nervousness, I had tried to distract myself by trying to use my power to control an insect. All I had gotten for my trouble was a migraine and a nosebleed. No dice. Had I managed to give myself a Thinker headache?

It bears further investigation, but now isn't the time to accidentally give myself a brain aneurysm.

Still, dawn came and I was up and about, a scant few minutes of actual sleep under my belt. I needed to distract myself - at least until I was back somewhere civilized. Somewhere safe.

The goal for today, then: find out about whatever counts for civilization in this dimension. I hadn't found any signs of it yet, so my best bet was probably to backtrack to that river I had found yesterday and follow it.

What about the bugs I had seen yesterday? I don't fancy going up against one - especially with just a knife and my wits. I'll have to be cautious. Best to assume that the rest of the strange fauna might have abilities on the same level, just in case.

I found my way back without trouble. The din of the forest had taken on a more sinister tone to me. Each noise could be some fresh horror waiting in the wings, ready to swoop in and tear me limb from limb.

Nothing I was unused to.

While I couldn't see or hear through the senses of the bugs near me anymore, I could still sense their positions - I had a sort of instinctive awareness of the shape of the terrain near me. It wasn't anything special, but it at least allowed me to keep my eyes on the lookout for threats rather than on my footing.

Following the river was uneventful. I could see many large fish living in the crystal clear waters, so I stayed away from the bank, just in case. The local fauna otherwise steered clear of me. I had seen a few notice me, only to immediately turn tail and run.

Within about an hour - around seven in the morning, by my judgement - I heard what I was after. Voices. Human ones - speaking English. They were coming from downstream.

I further away from the bank and begin moving silently through the underbrush. I don't know what I hope to learn by eavesdropping, but I'd rather not have to introduce myself if I can avoid it.

Too many questions that I don't want to answer.

"...No - I'm telling you man! We're too far west. The ranger said he saw Pinsir on the east side of the shelf."

Male. A New England accent. Late teens. Caucaisian.

"You're still looking to train a Pinsir? Those things are monsters - you'll never control it. Forget it man, let's head back to the city. I want to watch the ball game this weekend."

Similar voice. Deeper tone. Same accent.

I catch sight of the pair. They're sitting in front of a pair of small tents in a clearing a short way away from the river. Their sides are to me. In front of them is a fire and a portable stove.

Campers? But what do they mean by Pinsir? Are they talking about one of the animals?

"Hey - you caught what you were looking for. At least stick with me until I catch what I'm looking for. You know that Joel's going to give me shit if I come back from this trip without a new team member to match his."

"I don't give a damn about what Joel thinks of you. Besides, there's a world of difference, numbskull. I wanted a harmless water monkey. You want a vicious flesh-eating beetle."

The first one slumps, letting out a defeated sigh. "You're right… let's head back. Maybe I can snag a Venipede on the way back instead."

The second stands, fiddling with something on his belt. "Hey - cheer up. Scollipede is a powerful addition to any team. He'll fit right in - without any of the obedience problems you'll have with a Pinsir." He raises his hand, a red and white sphere held out. "Come on out, Panpour."

A flash of white light has me tense. Tinkertech? In an instant, a blue monkey appears in front of the second person, looking up at him expectantly.

"Hey bud, can you put out the fire for me? We're headed out." He's addressing the monkey directly. I had seen them hanging about in the trees earlier. Could they understand language?

The monkey nods, a wide smile breaking out on its face. It moves over to the fire and douses it with bursts of water from its mouth. A Blaster ability? Depending on the pressure it can reach, that could be dangerous.

The first person stands, moving to put away the stove inside a pack. "You want to cut south through the forest and then back west to Nimbasa city along the road, or back the way we came along the trail? We could probably cut a half of a day that way."

"Didn't you listen to the ranger at all? He said that the Vespiquen hives were all that way. If you want to stumble into a deathtrap, be my guest." He turns back to the monkey. "Thanks, Panpour." He raises the Tinkertech ball, and the monkey disappears in another flash of light.

"Shit, really? Trail it is, then."

The pair begin packing up their tent. They start talking about the game they had mentioned earlier before departing, headed downstream. I don't follow - I didn't want to risk being discovered. Besides, I've learned quite a bit already.

I move away from the campsite, looking for a place to rest. I find a thick tree with a comfortable-looking knoll beside it's trunk. Sitting down, I start going back over what I had learned in my head.

First: there is at least one ranger in these woods. Not particularly important. Campfires seem to be allowed, so I shouldn't have to worry about attracting attention that way.

One of them had also mentioned that we were on a shelf - noteworthy, but not important. If I need to make a hasty retreat I'll have to be wary of not backing myself into a corner.

The pair were here in order to 'catch' things. Were they poachers? They didn't act like it. Most likely they were after the unusual fauna - one had mentioned catching a 'water monkey'. If I had to bet, that would be the thing he had later called 'Panpour'.

The Tinkertech. Mass compression, stasis, or pocket dimension tech, if I had to guess. It looked like a pair of hemispheres, one red and one white, about the size of an orange. Perhaps it assisted in catching these creatures in some way. Enforced obedience to creatures stored inside?

Would it work on a person?

No - that can't be right. They'd mentioned that a 'Pinsir' would be difficult to control. In that case, I doubt the device has a Master effect to it.

That creature - one of them described it as 'a vicious flesh-eating beetle'. From the way he spoke of it, it sounded fairly aggressive. Was that the brown beetle I had seen yesterday? If it was, then the place I had come from was to the east.

The mentioned a city, too - Nimbasa. It was to the south-west.

One had mentioned the other building a team from these creatures. Presumably, he was also building his own team. Were Capes in this dimension animal tamers? From what I've seen, that would make them fairly potent Masters, especially if they all had access to that Tinkertech. For all I knew, it was mass-produced and sold in stores for a pittance. I don't know. I can't make any decisions based on that yet.

One of them had mentioned another person - Joel - who also had a team of these creatures. Was the practice widespread? It might be. Then again, they might all just be colleagues in a niche profession.

Anything else?

...They had mentioned three other creatures. Venipede - it lived somewhere on the way back to Nimbasa and was less dangerous than Pinsir. Scolipede - 'a valuable addition to any team'. It was somehow linked to Venipede, if I understood correctly. Vespiquen - they were very dangerous. And apparently made hives to the south of here.

Further south, past the hives was a road that leads back to the city.

So. What to do?

It will undoubtedly be much easier to learn about this world in the city. What if I sneak in during the dead of night to see what I can learn?

Maybe - I'd be vulnerable, though. While I'm fairly confident in my abilities as a sneak, I don't want to even try to infiltrate a city with some unknown techbase without so much as a clue to what I need to be looking out for. For all I know, the public surveillance could be on the same level as the Tinkertech that I've already seen.

In this dimension I'm pretty much an illegal alien - a ghost in the system. No records, no ID, no past. I could accidentally trigger some sort of automated alert and bring the authorities down on me. If one of these tamers gets sent after me, I'll have nothing but my knife to fight them off with. Against a Master that controlled multiple creatures like Pinsir? I'd be dead.

Perhaps I'm being overly paranoid.

No. Better to be paranoid than dead.

What if I were to tame a creature of my own? That monkey seemed rather friendly and intelligent. The ones I've seen up in the trees kept their distance - they didn't seem the sort to attack me.

I might be able to pass myself off as one of these tamers, if they're widespread. And, if they're not, at least I'll have an ally of sorts if I get into trouble.

I don't have any Tinkertech to help me out. Could I still manage it? If I spot the opportunity, I'll consider giving it a shot. If I try to tame an insect, maybe the insight from my power be enough to make up for a lack of Tinkertech? I mean, as far as I can tell, they still have to tame the creatures the old-fashioned way. Surely I'd have an advantage over them in that regard.

Were there any alternatives?

The road. Presumably it's a major thoroughfare. I doubt it'll have surveillance - unlike a city. Yes - that seems like an acceptable hedge. Stake out the road to learn more about this dimension. Infiltrate the city if it doesn't seem like too great of a risk. Retreat to the wilderness otherwise.

I have my doubts that the city will be anywhere near as dangerous as I'm planning for, but there's no reason to be reckless - I've got all the time in the world to make an informed plan of action.


	3. 1-3

In hindsight, cutting south through a part of the forest known to be inhabited by dangerous animals was a poor decision. At the time, I had figured that I'd be able to sneak my way through without trouble.

And so, here I am. Sneaking through the forest. After I had moved away from the river, the canopy had thickened rapidly - the gloom made it difficult to navigate on sight alone. Thankfully, I at least had an advantage in that respect - without the bugs giving me the shape of the ground, I would undoubtedly have attracted the attention of something by stumbling about blindly.

The cries of the creatures of the forest had only gotten louder over the past hour or so. While I hadn't been confronted by anything yet, a part of me suspected that it was only a matter of time.

A shrill screech pierces the din of the forest. The harmonious buzz of insect wings intensified. The screech was matched by a deeper battlecry. Another animal fight? It sounded like it was dead ahead - nearby, too.

I begin moving more cautiously. Perhaps this would offer more insight into the capabilities of the native animals? Before long, I spot the things responsible. Another one of the blue beetles I had seen yesterday, and another similarly sized bug I hadn't seen yet. This one was yellow and black, and almost looked like a caricature - a fusion of human and bee. It's abdomen was flared wide, like a dress. It had a pair of short arms and even shorter wings, and yet, the insect remained afloat, keeping it's distance from the beetle.

The two were fighting in a clearing. In the middle was a shattered yellow mound, reaching into the sky, about the height of a person - a hive? Honey was leaking from the holes in the structure - it must be.

The floor of the clearing was littered with the corpses of strange insects. They looked like a trio hexagonal honeycomb cells stuck together with a pair of wings and a set of faces attached. More of the blue beetles were unmoving on the ground, too. Buzzing about the clearing were a handful more of the honeycomb insects, but nothing in comparison to the numbers dead.

Despite its mobility advantage, the large flying insect was clearly on the back foot - the blue beetle was rushing about, covered in a strange white energy that gave it's tackles an unerring accuracy. A Breaker power? Thinker?

The flying insect wasn't defenseless, however. It was hitting back with a Blaster power - shining stones seemingly made from energy were thrown at the beetle, scoring it's carapace with each hit.

What should I do? Run away? Move closer to observe with my power? Join in?

I mean, the animals in this dimension appear to be rather intelligent - perhaps I could use this as an opportunity to recruit one? Yeah - that might work. Neither seem particularly fast - if things go pear-shaped, I think that I'd be able to just leg it without much trouble.

Which one should I help, though? The beetle? They look to be the aggressor here - do I want to gamble that I'll be able to handle that aggression? I don't think so. The bee, then.

I draw my knife, remembering what I had learned from watching it yesterday. It's carapace was tough - no way I'd be breaking through it with this. There was weak points, through - the eyes, the seams in its shell, the joints.

I sneak closer, and the pair enter my range. My eyebrows shoot up - the abdomen of the flying insect was hollow, and filled to the brim with bees. That's… I don't know what to think about that, actually. Could this creature control bees?

It doesn't matter right now. My costume should provide protection if it decides to turn the bees on me.

The back of the beetle faced towards me. The flying one notices me, but is preoccupied trying to break free from the beetle's grapple. I move, closing the short distance in a few strides. I reverse my grip on the knife and jam it into the beetle's right eye from behind.

The beetle rears backwards, screeching, it's grapple forgotten. Ocular fluid leaks down the beetle's side, its ruined eye deflated, like a balloon popped. I leap backwards as the beetle thrashes, leaving my knife behind.

The flying one takes the opportunity, finally managing to get some distance from the beetle. The beetle turns to face me, it's former target forgotten. It rushes, aiming to impale me on it's horn. The charge was clumsy, and I step aside, my kick striking it's back as it passes.

The blow was enough to unbalance the beetle, and it topples over, face first. It lets out another furious screech as the knife was driven further into its head with the fall. The flying insect fires off more of it's Blaster power, the shining stones scoring the carapace on its back.

The beetle scrambles to its feet, it's face in a rictus of hate. Absently, I note how strange it is for insects to have facial expressions, but I push the thought to the side as it is wreathed in the same white energy it had attacked the flying one in.

I leap to the side, trying to avoid the tackle, but the beetle manages to tag me anyway. I'm sent sprawling by the blow, pain flaring dully in the hip that had taken the strike. That'll leave a bruise. The beetle follows through, ignoring the stones raining down on it's back, and moves over to me. I scramble to get some distance, but the creatures claws clamp down around my upper arms, my legs sprawled out under me.

Shit - grappled by a Brute. Sloppy. I'm too used to having a cloud of insects around me.

The creature's grip is indomitable - my struggles futile. My forearms unable to get any sort of meaningful leverage on the creature. The beetle begins to pull, and my eyes widen - it's planning to tear my arms off! I try to get my footing again, but my feet don't have enough traction on the loamy ground to push myself free from the creature's grip.

The flying insect is no help - it's attacks seemingly ineffective.

My eyes are drawn to my knife. Only half of the length of the blade had actually gone into the creature's head. The other half stuck out.

Seizing the opportunity, I desperately slam my masked forehead into the handle, over and over. By the second strike, I felt my left arm pop, my shoulder dislocated. The pain was manageable. I'd faced far worse before.

On the fourth strike, something broke, and the knife was driven in all the way. The beetle drops dead, like a puppet with its strings cut.

The flying insect approaches, wringing its hands. I ignore it for now, bracing myself to relocate my arm. I pop it back into place with a practiced motion, letting loose a grunt. I turn towards the bee.

It's face looks… worried?

It makes a noise, something not unlike a violin being played poorly, accompanied by a buzz. Was it trying to say something?

I frown. "Can you understand me?"

It nods, making another noise, different to the first. I pay attention to my power, this time. Yes - it's definitely speaking. I can't understand it though. Does it have it's own language?

It continues making noises, tittering back and forth in the air. A sharp, shooting, pain breaks my concentration and I grasp my head. A moan escapes my lips and a full-on migraine makes itself known.

Another thinker headache? But I wasn't even trying to use my power this time!

Abruptly, it stops. I gasp for air, relieved.

"-Human? Are you hurt?" The voice's volume lowers to a mutter "Oh, please be okay. What should I do? I don't know how to fix humans!"

A voice - the same sounds as before, except now they made sense. Did… my passenger just do something? My power didn't feel any different… except, now I can understand the bee.

Can you hear me, passenger? Did you do this?

No response.

I push my worries aside and turn to face the bee. "I'm… okay, I think. Just a headache."

It stops tittering. "You- You can understand me! How?! No, that doesn't matter right now - you were hurt! Helping defend my hive!"

A strained smile crosses my face, hidden by my mask. "Really, I'll be fine. My name's…" I stop, considering. I suppose there's no harm in using my actual name. "...Taylor. Pleased to meet you." Even under my mask, I put on my best PR smile.


	4. 1-4

The bee stops moving, buzzing quietly. "Vespiquen." it replies. "Are you sure you aren't hurt? I've never seen a human take on a Pokemon like that. They always use Pokemon of their own to fight."

This was a Vespiquen? A creature dangerous enough that stumbling across one of it's hives by accident is deadly? It's worrying over me like a mother hen!

"I'm not from around these parts." I roll the beetle over, and begin working my knife out of it's eye. "Why did these beetles attack you, anyway?"

Vespiquen is watching me with fascination. "The Heracross? They were after my hive's honey. They-" her voice drops, taking on a sorrowful tone. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore. We might have won the fight, but the hive is as good as dead."

I manage to pry the knife from the beetle and it comes free with a wet squelch. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't you be able to rebuild?" I begin wiping the blade on a tuft of grass. The viscera is sticky and doesn't clean easily.

She lands on the ground next to me, her buzzing trailing off. "...Too many of my Combee died. The ones that are left will all be pressured into other hives by the other Vespiquen." Her shoulders slump, and she curls her arms around herself. "I'm… a failed queen. I'll never lead another hive… It's just the way things go."

Combee? She must be talking about the honeycomb insects. ...Shit - this must be a tragedy for her. For just a moment, I'm paralyzed by indecision. Would it be appropriate to comfort her? I slide my barely clean knife back into its sheath, convinced that I wouldn't be able to do any better for now.

Tentative, I kneel down and reach out to put my hand on her shoulder. She doesn't move away, and least seems comforted by the gesture. "Look… Shit, I'm no good at this. But, you're still alive, aren't you? Your Combee died for you and your hive. What would they have wanted you to do with the rest of your life?"

Her arms tighten around her body. The soft hum of her bees starts back up, a wavering murmur coming from her abdomen. "The Combee… They died doing their duty. I've proven I'm not strong enough to lead a hive anymore. I failed my duty. They wouldn't want me dead… but they wouldn't follow me anymore, either."

That… wasn't what I was going for. "Well then, what do you want to do with the rest of your life?"

She shakes her head. "...Taylor... You're powerful. A worthier queen than me. Would you have me as part of your… What do you humans call it? Team? I-" she pauses, her expression conflicted. "Failed queens don't live long in this forest. You'd…" She trails off, uncertain. "Well, you'd be helping me far more than I deserve."

This wasn't how I wanted this to go at all - but, I suppose there's no helping it now. "I've got to be honest with you, I'd only intervened in the fight because I had hoped to recruit you. I didn't think that your only option would be to follow me or to die - I don't want to do that to anybody. You sure you want to join up?"

Immediately, she perks up. "Yes! Absolutely!" She lifts off from the ground once more, and I stand with her. She dithers in place for a moment, before moving in and wrapping her arms around me in a quick hug. "Thank you." she says quietly. I stiffen, surprised by the move, and she breaks the embrace before I can think to reciprocate.

I nod, a genuine smile on my face despite myself. "It's decided, then. Welcome to the team." I cast my eyes around the clearing. My gaze settles on the hive. "We'll talk more later - we should get a move on soon. I don't think either of us want to be around when scavengers start showing up."

Vespiquen's posture slumps once more. "Yeah… I suppose that would be wise." She turns around, looking pensively at the remains of her hive. "Say… other humans have tried to steal my honey before - do you have something to carry it in? It'll go to waste otherwise."

My mind snaps to the mason jars that Contessa had left me - her power had planned this! I'm… hardly surprised, actually.

...How many of my actions were coerced by her power? Did I even have a choice in matters?

I shake the thoughts from my head. Notions like those would give me nothing but grief.

"Yeah - that's a good idea. I've got some containers in my bag that we can use." I grab my bag from where I had left it at the edge of the clearing. We work in silence, Vespiquen filling each jar in turn with deft hands

Before long, I was packed up and ready to go. I was faced with a choice, however: did I continue south, towards the road, or retreat back north? "Vespiquen, how hurt are you? I was planning to push on further south-" I gesture in the direction I was talking about. "-but if you're injured it would probably be wisest to back off and take a safer route."

She wrings her hands. "I'm not… I took a few bad hits. I'll be back into fighting shape with the right diet and a day or two, though."

My brow rises, confused. "Diet? What do you mean?"

"The right berries will speed my healing. I know how to find them, so it won't be an issue."

Berries with healing properties? That's… useful. Did it work for everybody, or just Vespiquen? I can find out later, I guess. "Alright then, lets head back north and find somewhere to rest for the day."

She turns away, giving the clearing one last look before moving to follow me.

* * *

Our walk through the forest had been quiet. Both of us had paid careful attention to our surroundings, but it seemed to not have been necessary. All of the animals - Pokemon, Vespiquen had called them - stayed well away from the pair of us.

Along the way, Vespiquen had flitted from bush to bush, picking particular types of berries and ignoring others. We had stored them in my bag for her to eat later. By the time we made it to a suitable place to camp it was nearly full.

I sat down on a rock, looking across the small clearing where Vespiquen was eating. Should I tell her about my past? She's bound to figure it out sooner or later - she's smarter than I had been expecting: human level, maybe. We're a team now, too - trust is important.

"Hey, Vespiquen. We need to talk." I begin fumbling with the clasps of my mask.

A worried expression crosses her face as she looks up from her meal. "What about?"

"Me." My mask comes free, falling into my lap. Nobody's nearby, so there's no particular risk. Doing this face to face is more appropriate, given the topic. "You might have guessed, but I'm not exactly like the other people you may have seen."

She lets out something that sounds like a guffaw. Was that a laugh? "Taylor, all the other people that I've seen have all ran screaming in terror from my swarm. You just killed a Heracross practically all by yourself."

I shake my head, a wry smile on my face. "Not what I was getting at. I'm not from this dimension - where I'm from, we don't have any Pokemon. I'm probably going to be stuck here forever, though. I doubt I'll ever be welcome back home. I arrived here a couple of days ago."

Her eyes widen in astonishment, her food forgotten. "...You certainly act and look the part, I suppose." She shakes her head, as if to dispel wayward thoughts. "There was no Pokemon, though? How? Why? What- what was it like?"

"Very different, I'd say. I don't know enough about this would to say how exactly, though. I was hoping you could help me out with that."

She nods, understanding. "Sure, no problem. I don't know much about humans, but I'd be happy to tell you about what I do know." She finishes the berry she had started earlier quickly, putting the rest back into the bag. "Well, some of them live in cities. Others, from what I've heard, travel a lot. I know that most stick to the paths and roads, but every now and then one makes its way deeper into the wilderness."

She stops, considering her words. "From what I know, most people have teams of Pokemon. At least, every human that I've ever seen has had at least one. They use strange red and white spheres to capture wild Pokemon and to carry the ones that are on their team - from what I've heard, being inside one is like being in a dream."

Every single one? That's… concerning. Despite myself, I begin bouncing my leg. That means that potentially every single person in this world could be considered a Master. "Do you know why they have teams?" Was it a cultural tradition? Or something else? A job? I force myself to stop fidgeting, sitting still.

She shakes her head. "No, I don't know. What I do know is that Pokemon that get trained by a human are usually much more powerful than ones that live out in the wild. I've lost a few Combee with delusions of grandeur to passing humans before. It is…Was a serious transgression. Looked down on - the ones that left were putting their own power before the good of the hive. Any Combee that went with a trainer gave up their right to ever lead a hive of their own." Her voice is introspective. There's sadness, but it isn't the only emotion.

Something about what she said catches my attention, though. "A Combee could lead a hive? They don't look nearly as capable as a Vespiquen."

She cocks her head. "...You don't know about evolution, do you? No - of course not. A Pokemon that is experienced enough generally goes through an… event that we call evolution. It's fast - over the course of seconds they will transform permanently into a more powerful form. Vespiquen evolve from female Combee."

She smiles, seemingly remembering something. "I only evolved a few months ago. It was one of the happiest days of my life - I'd finally earnt the right to lead a hive of my own, after all." her expression soured. "Evolving is usually one of the reasons Pokemon seek out a trainer."

Was it a permanent Changer form? No… from what she's saying it sounds like a superpowered version of metamorphosis. I frown. "Can all Pokemon evolve, or only the bugs?"

"Not all of them - Heracross doesn't, for example. But it's not limited to bugs, either. Have you seen the monkeys that live up in the trees?" I nod "They also evolve, from what I've heard."

"Interesting…" I trail off, fiddling with my mask idly. An experienced Pokemon trainer would be much more dangerous than a novice one, in that case. "Do humans in this world have abilities like that attack you were using against the Heracross? Or maybe the one that the Heracross hit me with?" I don't suspect it to be the case - she had said that she hadn't ever seen humans do any fighting themselves, but better to ask anyway.

"No - not at all. At least, I've never heard of someone that can, anyway." She blinks, seeming to come to a realization. "Why? Did humans in your world?"

I nod. "Not all of them, but enough that it was a big part of our culture. I had powers, too. Still do, technically." I hold my mask back up to my face. "We're called Capes. We wore costumes, kept our identities and faces secret - one name for our civilian life, another for our Cape life. I go by Weaver when I'm in costume." I lower my mask once again, returning it to my lap.

She leans forward, engrossed. "Powers? Like what?"

"I controlled bugs. It was absolute - indomitable. As many that fit inside my range - a radius about the length from here to the river. I had complete awareness of their position and their senses. I could multitask - command every single one at once. There was a time when my swarms blotted out the sun." Her face was locked into an expression of horror, justifiably, I'd say.

I quickly continue, not wanting to scare her off. "Not anymore, though - now, my range is barely the size of this clearing, and I only know the positions of the insects. No more control, no more hijacking senses."

"Oh… Could you have controlled me, if your power still worked?"

I nod, but say nothing.

"That's…" She trails off. Abruptly, her expression changes from horror to wonder. "So awesome! Is that why you can understand me?"

I blink, surprised at the sudden shift. "Probably. Nobody understands how powers work, but it seems to me that's the most likely explanation."


	5. 1-5

I slept better that night, in a perverse sort of way. My dreams were haunted, but at least I had managed to fall asleep for long enough to actually dream. It… hadn't been much more restful than last night - not by a long stretch. Seeing my friends and colleagues torn apart by those terrible golden beams had left me a shivering wreck. Telling myself that it was just a dream hadn't brought me any comfort.

It was silly - childish, even. We had won - I knew it; I lived it. But the images stuck with me anyway.

Vespiquen had noticed my distress, but she didn't ask and I didn't tell.

With the first rays of dawn sunlight peeking over the horizon the both of us were up and about. We still had a good stock of berries left from Vespiquen's foraging yesterday, so we ate together.

"How are the injuries going?" I ask between bites of my breakfast.

She nods. "Well. The Oran berries" she gestures to the berry I'm eating "I found yesterday have done their job well."

I look at the blue fruit closer. It had a peculiar sort of mildness, and had a mix of flavours that I couldn't identify. The fruit itself was chewy, and about the size of three knuckles across: larger than a strawberry, but smaller than a mandarin.

"You said that they have healing properties? Do they work for all Pokemon, or just Vespiquen? What about humans?"

She shoves another berry into her mouth, devouring it whole. "I don't know about humans, but they work for all Pokemon. You'll have to ask another human if you want to know about that."

I finish my berry, picking up a different one. It's large - looking more like a cantaloupe than a berry. Vespiquen had dug into these ones with a fervour yesterday. I had seen that the insides resembled a pineapple more than anything else - lots of pulp, and lots of juice.

"How about these ones? The same deal as Oran berries?"

She shakes her head. "Sort of. Those are Iapapa berries. Their healing is more potent, but not everybody can handle the flavour." She smiles "They're my favourite."

Interested now, I cut it open with my now properly cleaned knife. I pick out a small slice to try and pop it into my mouth. Instantly, my palate is assaulted with an explosion of overwhelming, biting sourness. I break into a fit of coughs, the slice flying from my mouth in my surprise. My face scrunches up, and I'm left reeling from the experience.

"You-" I hack once more, unable to shake the aftertaste "-You actually enjoy that? I think I almost hurled."

She breaks into a fit of tittering laughter, sweeping the dreadful fruit from my arms. "Like I said, not everybody can handle the flavour. I think I'm glad you don't like them, though - more for me!" She digs into her food with a zeal, spraying juices as she does.

I pick out another Oran berry - one of the last - to try to clean my palate. "So-" I say between bites. "-You're well enough for travelling today?" She nods "Like I said yesterday, we're headed for the road to the south. I need to learn more about the people here - the safest way I can do that is by watching them. I'd planned to head directly there and I ran into you on the way. You probably know this forest way better than I do - is there a better route we can take?"

She stops for a moment, considering. "Going the way you were yesterday is the fastest way, but that part of the forest is home to some pretty aggressive Bugs. We'll have to fight our way through parts of the journey." She shakes her head, throwing the last chunk of the fruit into her mouth. "If you wanted to cut down on the risk, we'd be better to head in that direction" She points off into the forest - to the east, I think - "until we reached the bottom of the ridge, and then follow it down to the road."

I nod - she'd know best, in this case. "What sort of Pokemon are we looking at coming across if we take that option?"

"Leavanny and Swadloon mostly. Maybe some Sewaddle if a clutch has just hatched. They're pretty friendly - they won't give us trouble if we don't cause them trouble. We might run into a Lilligant, but they're pretty relaxed too. The only thing that might attack us would be a Liepard, but they tend to stick close to the road."

Leavanny, Swadloon and Sewaddle must be related to each other, I figure. "Liepard? What do you know about them?"

She buzzes, contemplating. "Well, they've always left us bugs alone, but I've heard from an Audino that they're pretty nasty to some of the other types of Pokemon - I wouldn't put it past them to attack humans. They're four legged, furry, purple, and very sneaky."

Sneaky? That might be a problem. Purple isn't the best colour for camouflage in a forest, but it wouldn't do too poorly in the right lighting. "Do they work in packs or alone?"

"I don't know. If we run into a friendly Pokemon I could ask, but Vespiquen aren't very well liked by most of the other Pokemon in the forest." Her tone is matter-of-fact - it doesn't bother her at all.

Something about her words niggled at me - just how much of an independant society did Pokemon have? "What sorts of Pokemon would be willing to talk with you?"

She shrugs. "The Leavanny, maybe. Audino - the pink ones that we passed by yesterday - are willing to speak with just about anyone. The Grass types like us better than the rest of the Bugs, so maybe them, too."

I lean forwards, her words caught my attention. "Grass types? What do you mean by that?"

"The ones that look like plants - Lilligant is one." Her tone shifts. "Those green monkeys - Pansage - are another, but they only ever talk with the other monkeys." Her voice is mocking - she obviously doesn't think very highly of them. She continues, "It's a way that we group similar types of Pokemon together. I don't know where it came from, though - I learnt it when I was young. All the other Pokemon I've talked about it with were taught the same system I was, too."

A classification system? It seems more taxonomic than the Power classification system that I'm used to. I'll have to look into whether humans have a similar system in the future. I guess it's pretty strange that Pokemon have developed a system like that, but I suppose that they're certainly intelligent enough to manage it.

Seeing that we're both done eating, I start packing my things away. "We'll have to talk more about that later - we're burning daylight, let's get a move on. Keep an eye out for someone that'd be willing to talk with you. It'll probably be a good idea to stock up on healing berries, too."

* * *

The trek through the forest was quiet. By mid-morning, my bag was once again filled with healing berries - I'd paid attention to where Vespiquens wounds had been and there was no trace of any injuries anymore, so they certainly worked quickly. My own wounds ached dully - they weren't giving me trouble, but the berries didn't seem to have done much for me. Maybe it was because I hadn't eaten the Iapapa berry?

Or maybe they just didn't work on humans - I don't know.

Not too long after that, I catch sight of an Audino. It was eating berries from a bush, it's back turned to us. I tap Vespiquen, pointing at the creature silently. She nods, motioning for me to stay here before slowly flying towards it.

"Audino."

The creature turns, chittering. It seems surprised - tilting its head, as if asking a question. It makes some more chittering noises - I can't understand it's speech, I realize.

"I've got a question for you. Do Liepard hunt in packs or by themselves?"

I can still understand Vespiquen, so it isn't a matter of it being outside my range - is it because my power doesn't work on it? I had a sneaking suspicion that was the explanation, but I will have to investigate it properly at some point.

The Audino chitters, it's tone sounding harsh. It's expression had twisted, too. Did Vespiquen do something to offend it? It nods, then chitters some more.

"Right. Thanks - enjoy the berries."

It turns back to it's meal, seemingly satisfied, and Vespiquen returns. We move away silently. When we were far enough away that it couldn't hear us anymore, Vespiquen quietly fills me in.

"They're lone hunters. Apparently they also prefer to fight with their claws rather than their teeth. That Audino back there had lost a pup to one a while back."

Ah - that would explain its expression. "I couldn't understand it. I think that I might only be able to understand Bugs."

Vespiquen turns to me, her confusion plain to see on her face. "What? That's strange. All Pokemon can understand each other - if you can understand me, I don't know why you wouldn't be able to understand the Audino."

"I think it might be to do with my power. The Audino wasn't a Bug, so my power wouldn't have worked on it. Whatever way that my power is doing the translation must only work on things it connects to."

She didn't have anything to say to that, so we start moving again. We make good time - none of the Pokemon approach us, but Vespiquen makes a habit of pointing out the names of the ones we see in the distance. Apparently someone who ran a hive needed to be knowledgeable about the forest and its inhabitants, because she's a wellspring of information on the topic.

We reach the base of the ridge a few hours before sundown and find a good place to camp not long afterward. We eat a dinner of more berries - I would need to diversify my diet soon. I don't think a human can live off of fruits alone - even ones with seemingly magical healing properties. But, that is a worry for later - according to Vespiquen, we will reach the road sometime in the afternoon tomorrow.


	6. 1-6

"So, I've seen you use a Blaster power - those glowing rocks that you attacked the Heracross with. Is that your only power, or are there others you can do?" I pop an Oran berry into my mouth. Berries are on the menu for breakfast once again.

"Blaster power? Oh - you mean Power Gem. Yeah - that's only one of my moves. I know how to do a few more, but that's the one I'm best at."

She has more than one power? It's probably safe to assume that other Pokemon do too. That… ups their threat level quite a bit - I don't know enough to call them Trumps, but Grab-bags might not be far off. "What else can you do?"

"Well…" she shifts, angling the bottom of her abdomen off of the ground "I can call out my inner swarm to provide a layer of protection. That one's called Defend Order." She demonstrates, the bees that live inside of her coming out for the first time. The swarm exits from between the hexagonal plates on her underside before flying up and covering her completely in a bustling layer of bees.

My brows jumps up - she can control them!

Then, something seems to pulse, and the swarm freezes in place, disappearing from the view of my power. The bees seem to melt, forming into a strange, hazy shield about a finger's width off of her body. A forcefield? I stand up, moving over to her.

Reaching out a hand, I tap on the shield. It isn't solid - my finger passes right through, but there's a weird sort of resistance to it. It reminds me of what it felt like to move inside of Grue's power - do they have similar effects? Both obviously dampened kinetic energy somehow, but how does Vespiquen's power handle other types of energy?

I sit back down, and Vespiquen dissipates the shield. The field melts back into a swarm of bees, which fly back inside her. "How well can you control your swarm? Can you only control your bees, or can you control other insects too?" At least one of Vespiquen's powers have some pretty stark parallels to mine - will I be able to pass on some of my own techniques to her?

She shakes her head "More experienced Vespiquen can command their swarm better - I can only barely manage that move at this point. I know that some other Bugs have techniques to command insects, but none of the other Vespiquen did. I might be able to learn though - trained Pokemon usually learn more moves than the ones that live in the wild."

That's interesting - trained Pokemon learning more powers than wild ones suggests that their techniques can be taught. The powers that Pokemon have are obviously different to the ones from my world - just how many powers could one Pokemon learn? Is there even a limit beyond the time spent to learn them?

It seems that the more I learn about Pokemon, the more I learn just how dangerous they are - being able to learn more powers is definitely worthy of a Trump rating. But an entire animal population of Trumps? My system for classifying powers has pretty much fallen apart at the seams when it comes to Pokemon. I shake the thoughts from my head - I can think up a new system later. "What else can you do?"

She puts her unfinished berry down, lifting off of the ground. "I can kick up a pretty strong Gust." she turns to a fallen tree on the edge of the clearing we were camping in. It's fairly freshly felled - decay hadn't set in yet. Her wings begin beating faster - more purposefully. True to her words, strong winds blow from her wings, buffeting the tree.

The gale strips pieces of bark from the tree, the debris flying off into the air. The winds begin to kick up dust and I have to squint my eyes to keep from being blinded.

She stops, the wind abruptly cutting off.

Useful - probably not as much as her other two powers, but the winds are definitely strong enough to bowl someone over - or maybe even to sandblast them, in the right environment. She doesn't seem to have a terrible amount of control over the winds, so cribbing off of Stormtiger likely isn't an option. An option to look into, maybe.

She continues, "Depending on how I do it, I can empower attacks with my claws-" she flexes them, curling both of the short talons on each of her arms inwards. "-I can make my attacks faster with Fury Swipes-" she flies forward, her talons glowing with a white energy. Their form lengthens about twice over before she begins slashing at the air with an unnatural swiftness

"Or, I can make them more powerful with Slash-" she flits over to the same log she had demonstrated with before and raises a claw to the sky. She activates her power and her claws go through a similar transformation to before. She brings her arm down in a diagonal slash, striking the log.

The log splits, hewn clean in half along the path of her attack.

My eyes widen - that'd go right through a person; armour or no. Why didn't she use that against the Heracross? Was it's carapace tougher than I thought? "What would that move have done to the Heracross?"

She lowers her arm, the glow dissipating and her claws returning to their normal size. "Knock it around a bit, I suppose. I doubt it would do more than scratch its shell, though."

Shit - Heracross was a pretty serious brute, then. If her Power Gem managed to score it's shell, I can only imagine what it'd do to a person. Unusual names aside, all five of her abilities were powerful - if all Pokemon were on a similar level, I definitely want more of them on my team.

* * *

Power demonstration and breakfast finished, we continued on our way south. The ground became increasingly difficult as the day wore on - going from mostly flat to rocky crags and gullies. The tree cover remained thick despite the unfavourable ground.

We kept alert and watched each other's backs - any shadow could hide a Liepard ready to jump out at us.

It's around midday when I notice something strange. We're walking beside the face of a cliff - it looks to be sheer, reaching up about the height of two people, mostly flat.

My power disagrees.

I tense - a Stranger? I could clearly sense insects in the shape of an entrance to a cave in the wall next to me. Or worse - is it a Master? I leap away from the cliff - whatever it is, I don't want to be near it.

The insects leave my range. Vespiquen notices that something is up and quickly uses a Defend Order. She whips her head about, scanning the forest. "What is it?" she asks.

"The cliff - I can sense a cave entrance, but can't see one." I draw my knife, gripping it at the ready. "Is this the work of an enemy Pokemon?"

She snaps her head towards the rock face, moving the length of a few paces backwards. "An illusion? It couldn't be… could it?" Her posture is ready, but she's not alarmed.

"You know what's behind this?" She hadn't mentioned that we might come across a Stranger - she clearly hadn't anticipated whatever this is.

"Yeah - maybe. When I was a young Combee there was a Pokemon called Zoroark that lived around these parts. But they disappeared a year or so back - no-one's seen them since. Their entire deal was that they used illusions to disorient their prey and protect their homes. Everyone just assumed that they migrated somewhere else - I guess they've decided to come back."

"Are they hosti-"

The illusion snapping out of existence interrupts what I was going to say. Standing in the mouth of the cave is a bipedal Pokemon with dark fur, wolfish features and a mane of thick, red hair trailing behind it. The Zoroark? It's stance is loose, but low to the ground - it doesn't seem hostile, but I couldn't count on it staying that way.

I pay attention to my power. It doesn't seem to be able to fool it with it's illusions - if it attacks me, that may be my only warning. I'll just have to hope it has something I can sense on it.

It makes an unintelligible trilling noise, speaking to Vespiquen. She replies, her voice even - not unfriendly, but not warm either. "Is my trainer strong?" Her posture hardens. "Of course she is - why do you want to know?"

It turns to face me, ignoring Vespiquen's question. It begins to talk, mouth not moving. The voice clearly came from it, though - an auditory illusion? "Trainer. Who are you that sees through my illusions so easily? Your companion thinks you strong - yet I see naught but a mewling pup dressed in the clothes of an insect."

His speech is dramatic - archaic, even. It sounds strong - male, late thirties. I couldn't place the accent. I ignore how strange the entire situation is for now - I could ponder it later. "I am Weaver." I subtly shift my grip on my knife to be more suitable to deal with a surprise attack. "What do you want?"

He leaves the cave, starting to circle around us. On his way, he steps into my range for a moment - he's absolutely flea-ridden! I move, circling it in turn. Vespiquen took the opportunity to get some distance. "What do I want? I want to know." It pauses, eyes narrowing. "Whether you are worthy."

The circling continues. "What do you mean?"

"My former trainer was weak. Unworthy. He paid for strength with coin rather than sweat, and when the journey became difficult, he crumpled - like a tin before a titan. He lacked _conviction_." He strongly emphasises the last word, as if it holds particular importance to him. He stops walking. We had made three-quarters of the way around a full revolution - the cliff is to my left, and the forest is to my right. "So I escaped, seeking more of my kind - a pack leader worth following."

I nod, understanding the situation more now. "But you couldn't find anyone, could you? You think I could be your leader?" This is an opportunity - a dangerous one, but so were most ones that were worth taking. I don't know the extent of Zoroark's illusions, but from the sound of things, he's a fairly potent Shaker-Stranger: a valuable addition to any team.

He breaks into a grin, his wickedly pointed teeth showing. "Only if you can prove yourself." Immediately, the forest and cliffside drop away, giving way to a escheresque vista of twisting concrete pillars and slate rooftops. Despite the appearance, my power tells me that the scenery hasn't truly changed. Zoroark is nowhere to be seen, but in his place is another Vespiquen.

I close my eyes. I couldn't trust them - even paying the smallest amount of attention will give the Zoroark opportunity to deceive me. I stand ready, waiting for it's attack.

I call out "Vespiquen - be careful! It might trick you into using your Blaster attacks on me! Don't listen to any more of my commands until this is over!" It's a classic Stranger strategy. I don't know whether it's able to block out my voice with its illusions, but I suppose there is no harm in trying.

There - from the side! I jump backwards, my kick lashing out at where I think his legs are. It connects, and the Zoroark is sent sprawling. I move, aiming to force a surrender quickly, but he recovers and darts away.

Zoroark speaks, his voice coming from behind me. "You're good - I don't know how you're managing it, but nobody has simply ignored my illusions before!"

I ignore him - it could be misdirection.

He charges again, attempting another swipe. It's wild, uncoordinated - untrained, I realise. I step to the side and reach out with my offhand, aiming to grab his long mane - the most flea-ridden part of him. I catch a handful of fur and tug sharply, yanking his head backwards.

I step in, my foot slamming into the behind of one of his knees, my hand keeping the tension up on his mane. He crumples to the side, unprepared for my attack and unable to do much more than flail about. My knife moves in, the blade coming to a rest at his throat.

"It's over. Surrender."

I can see the tension bleed out of him. He stops struggling, accepting the defeat.


	7. 1-7

Satisfied that the spar is over, I reopen my eyes. There's no sign of any illusions, and Zoroark is no longer disguised.

"You've proven yourself, Weaver. You're strong - stronger than me. Will you do me the honour of having me on your team?"

His tone is earnest - no longer haughty like it had been earlier. Do I want to believe him? It's a risk, but I think that it's one well worth taking. I release him, lowering my knife. I don't put it away yet - just in case. Zoroark picks himself up, turning to face me.

I stare at him, considering what to say. He fidgets, waiting for my response. Before, his expression had been adversarial - not quite angry, but not friendly. Now, he almost looked like a lost child - downtrodden, looking up at me with hope in his eyes.

"Let's call it a tentative yes, for now. I want to know more, first." It's not too early for lunch, so sharing a meal is an option. "We'll talk over lunch."

Walking over to where my bag lay, I pick it up and deposit it between us. Vespiquen flies down, coming to a rest at my side. Judging by the look she's giving Zoroark, she isn't impressed by him.

"Sit." I instruct him, opening the bag to reveal the berries inside. He complies, eyeing the berries hungrily. Good - I had been worried that he would only eat meat.

Reaching out a hand to take a berry, he asks "So." He drops his accent entirely - he isn't speaking with that weird sort of dramatic flair that he had used before. "What is it you want to know?"

I take a berry for myself, sitting down too. Vespiquen follows. "Your story - you mentioned you had a trainer before." I unstrap the mouthpiece of my mask, allowing me to eat while keeping most of my face hidden.

Taking a bite from his food, he shrugs. "There isn't too much to say. He bought me from some big-name Pokemon breeder when I was a few weeks old. He treated me well, but didn't like putting in the hours on the training ground. Instead, he thought that expensive vitamins and Technical Machines would make up for it."

Vitamins? Is that a euphemism for steroids, or did he actually mean vitamins? What about Technical Machines - is he talking about some sort of Tinkertech? "Was that what made you run away from him?"

He shakes his head, taking another berry. "No - that was part of it, but the main reason was that he was a quitter. He got two badges in to the Gym Challenge but got stumped by the third. He decided that the life of a trainer wasn't for him, so he quit. I spent a few months lounging around his mansion doing nothing but watching TV before I decided that I didn't want to spend the rest of my life like that. So I smashed my Pokeball and ran away… and, well, here I am."

Something clicks - that overblown persona he had put on before our fight: he must have got it from watching too much TV. Period dramas, maybe? A part of me chuckles - he reminds me of the Capes who didn't take themselves too seriously, in an oblique sort of way. But what does he mean by 'Gym Challenge'? I don't think there's any way I can ask him without revealing that I'm not exactly from around here - do I want to explain my own situation to him?

It's more of a risk - unlike Vespiquen, he can go spilling my secrets to other people rather easily.

He seems honest, but I've no way of knowing for sure - especially considering his abilities as a Stranger. I'm…

I'm going to have to go out on a limb here and hope that my judgement of his character isn't mistaken. I return my knife to it's sheath.

I nod, mostly to myself. "I'll need to explain my own history, then." Vespiquen grabs another berry, content to sit back and let me talk. "The long and the short of it is that I'm not from this dimension - to say that where I'm from is different to this world is a bit of an understatement. We didn't have Pokemon, trainers, magical healing berries - none of it."

Unlike Vespiquen, Zoroark was far more believing of my words. "I saw a horror movie about something like that, once. I didn't really get it - what was your world like?"

"I don't know how to best explain it to you - it seems to me that instead of having Pokemon and trainers, we had Parahumans. It wasn't everybody, but some people had powers - some of them are pretty similar to what I've seen Pokemon do."

He blinks, his expression almost incredulous. "Powers - you mean, like, Superheroes?" Coming to a realization, he leaps from his seat. "That's how you saw through my illusions - you're a Superhero!" His face breaks into a silly grin "Oh my god, I fought a Superhero!"

I grimace - that wasn't exactly the reaction I had expected. "Yeah. We just called them heroes, though." I stop, considering my words. He seems fairly enthused about the whole thing. "Your illusions are pretty similar to what some Capes could do in my world, so I'm fairly inclined to have you on the team."

He looks as if I had made his day. To be fair, I may well have done just that.

I continue, "So, I want you to tell me what you know about trainers. Vespiquen has told me what she knows, but your perspective is probably far more valuable - I want to know everything I can before I approach anybody in this world."

"Wait - you can understand Vesp-" he cuts himself off "-Right, of course you can. Superhero. Can you understand me, or do I need to keep using illusions to talk?"

"My power to understand Pokemon only works on Bugs - keep using the illusions."

He nods, accepting the explanation without question and sitting back down. "Well, the first thing is that most trainers give their Pokemon nicknames - I know that wild Pokemon don't usually use names, but you'll look a bit out of place if you keep calling her Vespiquen."

That makes sense, I suppose - I'll have to discuss it with her later. "What did your trainer call you?"

"Ignatius." he shakes his head "- but I'd rather put that name behind me, if it's okay with you." He takes another berry and pops it into his mouth before leaning back against the face of the cliff.

I can empathize with that. "No problem. You mentioned something about a 'Gym Challenge' earlier - what do you mean by that?"

"Well, it's a big deal for trainers - lots of prestige on the line. The idea is to trek across the region, going from Gym to Gym collecting one badge at each for a total of eight. It's not just a glorified cross-country marathon, though - each Gym has a skilled Pokemon trainer that you've got to beat in a battle to earn the badge."

"Battle? I've got a feeling we might be thinking of different things here."

"What? Oh - no, it's nothing like what you would have seen going on in the wild. There's a pretty strict set of rules and there's only ever fatalities if things go really wrong - it's more like a duel than a fight."

Vespiquen speaks up. "Rules? I had thought trained Pokemon were weird before, but putting rules on a fight is strange, even for them."

He shakes his head vigorously "-No! You don't get it - it isn't a fight to the death, it's a friendly bout: a test of strength between two teams to determine a victor. The only thing being fought over is the wager and the glory."

"I think I understand. What sort of rules are we talking about here?" I withhold my judgement for now - it sounds like a bloodsport, but there might be something I'm missing.

Zoroark explains, as if reciting something that had been told to him many times before. "Well, a battle can be a maximum of six verses six Pokemon. There's a few rulesets, but the most common one only allows one Pokemon for each side out on the field at once. When one Pokemon is knocked out, one of its teammates takes its place. This continues until one side doesn't have any more Pokemon to send out. Trainers aren't allowed on the battlefield, but they can give orders from the sidelines. The Pokemon aren't allowed to target the trainers or any spectators, either."

"And something like that doesn't have fatalities very often?"

He shakes his head. "I don't know if you've noticed, Weaver, but Pokemon are all pretty sturdy. Unless you're really trying, you won't accidentally kill one. Besides, even if one does get hurt seriously, it's Pokeball will stabilize it and a quick trip to a Pokemon Centre will fix anything short of death"

Anything short of death? The medical technology in this world must be on a similar level to the Pokeballs. "Pokemon Centres?"

"They offer free Pokemon healing for everybody. They use some machine that works with Pokeballs. It usually only takes a few seconds, but If the wound is serious they use something else. I don't know what, though - I've never been through it myself. There's one in just about every town and city."

That… sounds way too good to be true. Free healing in seconds that will fix just about anything short of death? Surely there's some sort of catch to it. But... this is exactly the sort of thing that Tinkertech does. If Tinkertech could have been mass produced, would my world have had something similar?

This world...

I don't even know what to think about it. Animals that are all somewhat intelligent and have powers who are trained by people for some sort of prestigious bloodsport with almost no fatalities thanks to freely available Tinkertech healing?

I sigh. There's just no making sense of it. I'll simply have to accept it and adapt. "Pokeballs. How do they work? What do they do?"

He shrugs. "I don't know how exactly they work, but they've got a few different uses. The most obvious one is that they store Pokemon - turns them into energy, to keep things simple. But they've also got a computer interface that lets machines work on the Pokemon inside - like the healing machine."

They're definitely some pretty hefty Tinkertech, then. Just like the healing machine. "What else can they work with?"

"There's a computer system for long-term Pokemon storage - I don't know much about that, but my trainer has used it with a few of his other Pokemon before. It also lets Technical Machines do their magic - they let a Pokemon learn a new move while they're inside their ball. It works pretty quick - I've had a few used on me before. It's sort of like a dream - some wise old Pokemon that knows everything there is to know about the move comes into your ball with you and teaches you how to do it. I'm pretty sure that the Pokemon is some sort of recording, though."

Machines that teach powers? It sounds like some sort of fusion between Cranial's Tinkertech and Cauldron's vials. I don't know how I feel about that… I'll have to look into it more later. From what Zoroark is saying, though, it doesn't sound nearly as sinister as either of those.

"You said that Pokeballs can stabilize injuries? How does that work?"

He nods, leaning forward to grab another berry. "Well, Pokemon don't exactly have a physical body when they're inside the Pokeball, so they can't bleed out or anything. Just being inside is enough to put a stopper on most things - they'll still be injured if you take them out, though."

That makes sense, I suppose. "How about the trainers themselves - is Pokemon training a job or a hobby for them? How about the Gym Challenge - is it some sort of qualification, or do people only do it for the prestige?"

"I know mine only did it as a hobby, but I also know that some people live off of the money they win by battling. Earning Gym badges is pretty much the only way for a trainer to move up in the world - the mark of an experienced trainer is a full badge-case. You'll probably have to ask a human if you want to know the specifics - I didn't pay much attention to them. I don't know much about human jobs, but I think some of them to do with battling might need you to have a certain number of badges."

I don't say anything, digesting the information Zoroark has given me. It's a lot to take in.

"Right. That's enough for now. I might think up some more questions later, but I'm satisfied." I reach up, unclasping my mask. "Welcome to the team." I let my mask fall, revealing my face. "Weaver is my Cape name. Out of costume, my name is Taylor."


	8. 1-8

After lunch was finished, the three of us continued southward. We were already relatively close to our destination when we had come across Zoroark, so the rest of the trip didn't take much longer. It's entirely likely that Zoroark's presence had worked to ward off potential ambushers, because we didn't encounter any trouble of the sort on the way.

With the new source of information that is Zoroark, I'm feeling far more confident about entering the human civilization in this world - theoretically, he will be able to inform me about any sort of faux pas that would out me as someone not from this world. I don't think that being fingered as a dimensional foreigner is likely by any stretch of the imagination, but I prefer not to risk bringing suspicion down on me if I can avoid it.

It's late afternoon by the time I spot it - a chain link fence, past the trees. Beyond that is an asphalt road. It's not wide - maybe enough for a single car. I creep closer, staying hidden in the underbrush.

Suddenly, there's a yell from a person nearby, cutting through the quiet of the forest - down the road to the right. I motion for Zoroark and Vespiquen to stay silent and begin moving towards the source. It hadn't sounded panicked, more excited than anything - on the younger side, if I have to guess.

I catch sight of the people responsible. A pair of trainers, I suspect. Both male. One looks about fourteen, the other closer to twenty. They're dressed in travelling clothes and have Pokeballs attached to their belts.

They're facing each other, both fiddling with some sort of device strapped to their wrists. Phones, maybe? They're too bulky to be a simple watch. Are they exchanging numbers? The older one starts speaking. "Right, fourteen-hundred-p wager, two Pokemon each. We good to go?"

The younger nods. "Yep. Get ready for my team to open up a can of whoop-ass, gramps."

"Ha! You wish, kid!"

They move away from each other until a good distance separated the two. They both grab a Pokeball from their belt, palming it. Is this a battle?

They point the balls to the road. "Go, Wings!" shouts the kid.

The older one responds "Come on out, Hector!" The balls open with a burst of light, materializing the Pokemon inside onto the road.

I look on, paying attention to everything - this is a great opportunity to scope out what I'm up against. Zoroark has followed me, and is peering over the same bush I'm hidden behind. Vespiquen is further back, but is still watching the two of them intently.

Wings is a bird - about the height of my knee. It's grey feathered with a black pattern on its wings and neck and a red crest above its eyes. It takes off, soaring into the sky immediately.

Hector is a mammal. It sort of looks like a squirrel crossed with a meerkat, but has a strange yellow pattern around its torso.

The older one calls out "Hector, we can take this chump! Thunderwave!"

The kid's eyes widen "Dodge it, Wings! Then follow through into a Quick Attack!"

Wings jukes out of the way, diving into an erratic roll. Hector's pattern glows, crackling with yellow energy. The energy shoots out, looking not unlike smoke rings made from a neon yellow plasma. The bird's dodge is for nothing - the Blaster power clips its wing, and it's sent crashing into the ground. Sparks of yellow electricity cover the bird, and its movement becomes jerky.

Nerve disruption, maybe? I can't tell.

"Great shot, Hector! Go for a Super Fang!"

"Get out of there, Wings!"

Hector jumps forward, its large front teeth lengthening and glowing with a white energy. Wings tries to get back into the air, but it doesn't have the time before Hector is upon it.

It's jaws slam down around the bird's wing. Wings starts to writhe, finally seeming to be coordinated enough to move.

The energy fades from Hector's teeth and Wings is let free. It takes off into the sky, finally getting some distance again.

"This is our chance - air cutter!"

The bird starts beating its wings furiously and blades of sharpened air are launched at Hector. Another power like Stormtiger's? Just how common is wind manipulation in this world? He dodges to the side, evading most of the attack.

"Confuse Ray! Get that thing out of the sky!"

Hector's patterned fur glows once more, but this time he fires a strobing orb at the bird. Hector's aim is true and the orb seems to latch on to the other Pokemon. It spins around the bird's head, flashing in a dazzling show of lights. The orb fades, and the bird is left clearly confused by the experience.

Wings' flight grows erratic, the beats of his wings stuttering. Once more, it crashes to the ground, unable to stay in the air. Some sort of Master power? Or just a regular strobe light produced by powers?

"Move in! Finish this with Crunch!"

Hectors teeth glow again, this time staying their original length.

"No! Get up, Wings! Avoid it with Detect!"

Wings is unable to muster the coordination to do anything more than flail about. Hector closes the distance, leaping at the bird. Its glowing teeth bite hard, and the bird stops flailing, falling limp. Is it dead? That didn't seem like a fatal hit, but you never know with powers.

I turn my gaze to the kid. He's annoyed - not grief stricken. It must still be alive, then. Hector releases the bird and the kid raises his Pokeball again. Wings dissolves in a flash, energy streaming back into the ball.

"You want to just give up now, kid? I don't think you can win this."

The kid snorts. "You wish, old man!" Not counting the one for Wings, the kid has two other Pokeballs. Despite his bravado, the kid's face is conflicted. I guess he must be worrying that his other two Pokemon won't shape up, especially after the poor showing by his first.

The kid nods to himself, grabbing one of the Pokeballs on his belt. "Alright, let's go! Hardhat!" He points the ball to the field and his next Pokemon materializes. It's a small orange crab-looking thing with a rocky shell on its back. Some sort of Pokemon hermit crab?

A beat passes. Both trainers shout their commands at once.

"Rock Polish!"

"Super Fang!"

The crab's shell glows a dull white, a shimmering aura surrounding its body - I've seen that before! It's the same thing that surrounds Vespiquen when she uses Defend Order. Hector charges forward, it's fangs lengthening and glowing with energy in the same way as before. Hardhat doesn't even try to dodge, instead trusting its shell and aura to protect it.

"Amateur mistake, kid! Super Fang ignores all defenses and always brings the target down to half of their strength! It's over! Finish it with Crunch, Hector!"

Ignores defenses? Was it something like Crusader or more like Foil? My gut tells me that it's the former - I doubt there'd be much of either of Pokemon left if it's like Foil's power. What does he mean by 'half of their strength', though? Some sort of weakening power?

"No! Hit it with a Bug Bite, Hardhat!"

Both Pokemon charge at each other, Hardhat moving surprisingly fast for a crab. The teeth of both Pokemon glow white with energy. They collide, sinking their teeth into each other. The lock lasts only a second, before Hardhat falls limp.

Hector promptly releases the crab, stepping backward. Both trainers raise their Pokeballs, sending their Pokemon back inside. The kid looks disheartened by the loss, and the older trainer looks satisfied.

Seeing that the battle is over, Zoroark leaves, moving further back into the forest.

They walk over to each other, meeting in the middle of where they had battled. The older trainer sticks out his hand. "Good match."

The kid takes the handshake, grumbling something.

Whatever the kid said amuses the older trainer, because his face breaks into an easy smile. The pair holds out the devices they had used earlier once more. They fiddle with them for a few moments before they part ways, heading in different directions.

"Good luck, kid!" The older one shouts over his shoulder soon after they had passed each other.

Seeing that there is no more to learn, I wait in silence. Zoroark and Vespiquen were further away from the road, quietly speaking with each other. Once a few minutes have passed, I approach the road, keeping an eye out for more people. Seeing nobody around, I mount the fence, landing on the other side. The road stretches off in both directions.

To the right - the direction the kid went, it slopes downwards into a turn, the forest hiding the bend. In the distance, I can see buildings peaking above the treeline - a handful of what look like office buildings, a domed ballpark and a ferris wheel. That must be Nimbasa City. From where I'm standing, the buildings don't look any different to the ones in my world.

In the other direction, the forest gives way to the ridge, which has become an almost sheer cliff this far south. Far to the north, it had been little more than a gentle slope. At the peak of the ridge, I can see a squat building with the arch of a bridge visible over the top. Leading down from the building is a large tube - an elevator shaft built into the cliff?

I mount back over the fence. Where do I want to go from here?

Passing myself off as a trainer sounds to me like it's the best option - I've already made a solid start to those ends, and Zoroark's information appears to be most thorough when to do with things about training.

I'll have to learn more, certainly, but Zoroark has put me in a far more favourable position than before. I need time to get my bearings in the society of this dimension, and blending in is the best bet to ensure that I get that time.

What else do I need, then?

Pokeballs. Whatever counts for normal trainer clothing in this world, too - I'm certain people don't go about wearing costumes, anyway. Loose, long pants and a rugged shirt and jacket seem like the best bet to me. I'll need shoes, too - I can't wear my costume's ones.

I give the problem some more thought. Identification. Or some sort of paper trail, anyway. I may be a ghost in this world, but all that's going to do for me is make me look suspicious. Maybe a Gym badge or two just so that I can prove I'm actually a trainer if anyone asks.

For the first two, I'll need money - at least, if Pokeballs are sold in stores, anyway. For the ID, I'll need criminal contacts and a whole lot more money. For the fourth I need more information before I can say.

I don't like it, but at least the criminal element will theoretically have a degree of predictability - it's a better option than putting myself at the mercy of some unknown government bureaucrat, anyway. I don't know how much a well-done fake identity will run me in this world, but they weren't cheap in mine - I can likely expect it to be a similar situation in this one.

I head back towards where Zoroark and Vespiquen are. They're sitting across from each other, Zoroark against a tree and Vespiquen on a rock. Their conversation dies as they see me approach and they both look up at me expectantly.

"Alright, team. Here's the plan. I don't know enough about this world, and I don't have a paper trail to lay low in a city without attracting suspicion. So, I'm planning on playing the part of a trainer, at least until I've got my bearings. Who knows - maybe I'll decide that training is the place I want to be in this world, and I'll stick with it, but that's a conversation for then. But first, there's a few things I want to know."

I turn to Zoroark. "Pokeballs - they're sold in stores, right? Are they expensive or cheap?"

He nods. "Yeah. I don't know much about human money, but it's pretty obvious even to me that everybody can afford the basic models. My trainer went for the more expensive ones, but most people just stick with the normal Pokeball."

Something about the devices that the trainers had used sticks in my mind. "What were those devices that the trainers used? Are they phones?"

"Phones? I don't know what that is. I didn't see the devices you're talking about, either - were they red and rectangular or were they attached to their arms?"

"On their arms - tell me about the other thing you're thinking of too, though."

"I think it's a cross-transceiver, then. People use them to talk to each other from a long distance. There's a load of other functions, though - my trainer used his to handle battle wagers so he wouldn't have to carry around much money."

Something like a phone, then. I'll have to be sure to call it a cross-transceiver if phone isn't a word in this dimension. Being able to use it for wagers, though? It must be able to do bank transfers. I've heard that some newer Earth-Aleph phones can do that - it must be a similar situation.

"That seems reasonable, from what I saw. What about the other option?"

"A Pokedex. My old trainer had one. It's pretty uncommon to see one, though - they're pretty expensive, I think, so only researchers and really serious trainers have them. It's got a scanner and is loaded with everything there is to know about Pokemon. Point it at a Pokemon, and it'll tell you all about it. "

Interesting. That sounds very useful - I'll have to see if I can spare the money for one.

What else do I want to know?

How heavy the surveillance in the cities is. "That sounds handy. How common are security cameras? Are there many around the cities?"

"Yeah, I suppose. I don't think there's many in the smaller towns but you see them here and there in the city. Why? You aren't planning on trying to steal a Pokedex, are you?"

"No - I'm not planning on it. In this world I'm a ghost - I've got no documentation, no papers and no past. I want to know if my face is going to trip some computer system and send immigration enforcement officials after me."

He snorts. "What, do you think this is some sort of bad Sci-fi flick? No - that doesn't happen. If it did, foriegn trainers would be getting pinged left and right."

At this point, I almost do. This dimension is certainly strange enough to qualify as one, anyway. "There isn't some database with the faces of everybody in the country in it? They might be able to tell I'm not one of them." Vespiquen is looking back and forth between us, completely lost by the conversation.

"If there are, I've never heard of them. Admittedly, that isn't saying much, but I think you're being overly paranoid here. Look, if you're that worried about your face, I've got a solution for you."

He closes his eyes, seeming to concentrate. He opens them, flourishing his arms and producing a mirror made from his illusions. Staring back at me is an unfamiliar person dressed in jeans and a baggy coat. I look down at myself and see that the change isn't just in the mirror.

A disguise? I've yet to ask Zoroark about the particulars of his ability, so the thought hadn't crossed my mind. I poke my coat. I can feel my fingers pass right through as if there was nothing there, but it looks like my fingers are poking the coat normally.

Just how versatile are these illusions?

"Is something like this difficult to do?"

"If you want me to make it react to stuff like it is now, a little bit. More static illusions are a lot easier. The illusion will disappear if I get hurt, though."

That's a little bit of a strange restriction - is his ability concentration based? Either way, I'll definitely have to be careful about that. But, this is a far better plan than what I had before - which was essentially to be very sneaky. Not one of my greatest plans, admittedly.

"I like it. Good thinking." He glows with pride, a happy grin breaking out onto his face. The illusions pop out of existence. "Now, the next thing on the list is names. Have either of you got a preference for one?"

Vespiquen shakes her head, and Zoroark bolts up straight, clearly having had an idea. Vespiquen speaks first, cutting Zoroark off. "I do not particularly care. You can decide for me."

I nod - if that's what she wants, I don't mind. I turn to Zoroark. He's practically quivering with excitement. "Oh! Oh! Can I have a Superhero name too? That would be so cool!"

A part of me can't help but smile at his pure enthusiasm. I consider his request - a Cape name? That… isn't a bad idea, actually. The pair of them are certainly powerful enough to deserve one. Even besides that, if I used the same names for my team both while costumed and in civvies I might give myself away. Granted, even having the same species of Pokemon on both teams might do that, but this is a nice level of obfuscation that will be very easy to implement.


	9. 1-Interlude: Vespiquen

The Zoroark is strange one.

He isn't at all like what the wild ones had been - those were sadistic tricksters with a mean streak as large as their egos. I'd heard stories of my fellow Combee being led off into dangerous parts of the forest with the temptation of favoured berry bushes, only for the illusions to fade and the Combee to be left lost in an unfamiliar place without any idea of how to get back to the hive.

I hadn't fallen victim to such a ploy myself, but for just that reason alone they weren't well liked by the hive. We didn't directly attack each other, but we weren't friendly by any stretch of the imagination.

Right now, he's sitting beside Taylor, watching the battle between the two trainers intently.

I don't understand him. What did he say he wants from Taylor, again? A strong trainer? I do not dispute his choice, but I don't understand why he left his old trainer. That sort of disloyalty speaks poorly of his character - and all over what, a period of inactivity? His tendency for the abandonment of his duty might strike again - it will be unforgivable if I allow him to hurt Taylor in that way.

What if he comes across an even stronger trainer? Will he simply betray us and defect to them?

I need to know more - ascertain whether he is a threat to the stability of the team. A rogue element will do more harm than good: if Zoroark's loyalties belong to anything but the good of the team, Taylor needs to know.

The battle comes to a close, and Zoroark stands to leave, moving towards me. Taylor remains, watching the humans speak. I do not understand why she is interested in them, but she is undoubtedly planning for something and will enlighten us when the time comes.

"Zoroark. We will speak. Follow me."

He looks confused, but doesn't object. I lead him further into the forest. Our discussion may become energetic, and I would rather we didn't disturb Taylor.

"What's up, Vespiquen?"

I turn to him, floating slightly off the ground. Looking down at him, I ask "What are you loyal to?"

A direct approach will be most suitable. His answer will give me insight into his thoughts. I may not be able to tell whether he is deceiving me, but any lie he tries to spin will work against him in the long run.

He sits down, leaning back against a tree. "I dunno. Haven't given it any thought, you know? Just sort of been going with the flow."

A deception? If it is, it's a poor one. Infuriating - does he truly lack self awareness in such a way?

"You are saying that you are not truly loyal to Taylor?"

He shrugs, "I suppose - I haven't really gotten the chance to get to know her. Loyalty is earnt, you know? I don't know what she did to earn yours, but she hasn't really done a whole lot to earn mine yet. Now - don't get me wrong, I like her a lot - I think she's really cool, actually. But I'm going to hold off on 'true loyalty' for a while."

I sit down on a rock. This is worse than I thought - he's openly flouting his duplicity! Despite myself, my inner swarm begins to reflect my agitation. "You dare! A hive cannot function if its members are not devoted to the greater cause! Each member is a piece of the greater system, and the system will not function if its members do not obey the direction of the Queen! Your very presence compromises the integrity of this hive!"

His jaw drops, eyes wide in surprise. Good - perhaps I have managed to shout some sense into him.

He snaps out of his shock. "Whoa there, Queenie - I don't know what it's like out there in the wild, but things are a bit different when you're on a trainer's team. There is no 'hive' and Taylor is not a 'Queen' - whatever ideas you've got about how this works are wrong."

I suppress a huff - as if this fool knows anything about leadership. "Fine then, if you are such a font of wisdom on the topic, why don't you inform me about 'how this works'?"

Taylor stands from her spot, moving towards the fence.

He smiles at me - the nerve! "Sure thing - I've seen quite a few successful teams in my time. It's simple, really - in every team I've ever seen, the trainer is always the brains - the direction. They help the rest of the team reach their full potential as best they can. The Pokemon trusts the trainer to steer them right, and put their all into becoming the best that they can be. What happens to the team is up to the trainer, but the trainer should know what their team wants - they were the one to build it, after all."

Taylor climbs over the fence, moving onto the road. He stops, considering his words. "My trainer failed that - he thought I would be content to forsake training and battling for a life of luxury, so I left to find someone that could give me what I want."

A single word sticks out at me, digging into my mind like a claw.

Failed. His trainer failed him, so he left.

Just like the Combee left me because I failed them.

Am I truly one to be questioning his ideas of leadership? I've already proven myself unsuited for the job, after all. My anger bleeds out of me, a dull melancholy taking its place. No… My ideas are worse than worthless - by imposing them on the team, I could be actively sabotaging Taylor.

"I… apologise for raising my voice, Zoroark. I misunderstood your situation. I should… You're right. I should trust Taylor to handle the leadership of the team."

I should just give up. Do as Zoroark suggests - let Taylor lead the way, and just work on being the best Pokemon I can be for her. She deserves better than a failed queen.

He leans forward, shaking his head. "Hey now - it's okay. Wild Pokemon always have a little trouble adjusting to the culture of a team. Look - it's pretty obvious to me that you've got a lot on your mind. Talk to someone about it - please. A team can't have their first running themselves into the ground."

Taylor is making her way back towards us. I don't say anything, considering his words.


	10. 1-9

"I assume you've already got one in mind?"

His smile grew even wider and he nods. "Of course. I need something suitably awesome - how about Chroma the Unseeable? Oh - I've just had an even better idea" He stands, flourishing his hand to cover his face in a dramatic fashion. His voice adopts the weird lilt he had spoken with when I first met him. "Chromulon, the Master of Vision!"

I give him a flat look. "One word. No more than three syllables. Be reasonable."

He drops the accent and sits back down. "Aww…" His reaction is put-upon - he hadn't really expected me to accept those names, had he? "Well, you said my illusions are similar to powers from your world? I think I'll go with something based on that…" He trails off, a speculative expression crossing his face. "Phantom and Veneer are my next ideas, but I don't think Phantom would work 'cause I'm not a Ghost."

Ghosts? Are those are a thing in this world? Or is he just being facetious? ...No - that's ridiculous - of course he's being facetious.

"Veneer isn't bad. Doesn't immediately give away your power, which is good. How about Facade? Guise, maybe?"

"Ooh! I like Guise - nice and mysterious…" He tilts his head, giving it some thought. "Yeah, I'll go with Guise."

"Have you got an idea for your civilian name? I can't be calling you by your Cape name while I'm not dressed as a Cape myself."

"Sure do! Say goodbye to Ignatius - you're talking to Leonard now. I guess you can call me Leo, if you want."

That's… an interesting name. I suppose I haven't got a problem with it, if it's what he wants to be called. "Right then, Leo it is." I turn to Vespiquen. "You said you didn't mind what your name was - is it the same story for your Cape name?"

She shakes her head. "I have no preference at the moment. I'll leave it up to your expertise."

"Well, Queen or Hive are the most obvious choices, but they're a bit on the nose-"

"Anything but them, please. It would not be appropriate." Her voice is cordial, but I can see that she really doesn't like either of them.

"Sure. Order, maybe? Sovereign? It's pretty difficult to come up with Bug-themed Cape names without coming off as Villainous, so I'm playing off your ability to command a swarm, rather than the swarm itself - though those ones sort of make you sound like a Human-Master." Seeing their looks of confusion, I amend "Er, someone that can use powers to control humans."

Guise chips in. "How about Chitin? It fits and doesn't give too much away about what you can do."

She nods, accepting his recommendation. "Chitin is good. I prefer it over the others, in any case."

"Right - Chitin it is. There isn't any real reason we can't change it, but if you're happy with it, I'm happy with it. Now - what sort of civilian name do you want?"

She doesn't immediately respond, giving thought to my question. "Something short and inconspicuous."

Short and inconspicuous? A name jumps to my mind immediately. Anne.

Naming her after my dead mother? That's a bit… gauche.

...I think that I'd rather keep the two of them seperate. Not have memories of one colouring my view of the other - even in a small way.

Amy? No - I don't want the association in my mind, either. Lisa? That one's taken, too.

Gwen? It'll do, I guess.

"Are you okay with Gwen?"

She nods. "Yes. It will do fine."

"Alright, it's settled: Chitin and Guise. Ground rules: if I'm in costume, you can't use each other's civilian names - a Pokemon could overhear and tell. It might only be a small risk, but secret identities are a serious thing - it won't hurt us now, but in the future it may become very serious if ours become discovered. If I'm not in costume, you can't use your Cape names for the same reason: keep them separate. Even if there's nobody around - use the right name just in case someone is listening in. Same goes with my name: when I'm in costume, you call me Weaver." I take a breath, trying to lighten my tone. "I know I might sound pedantic, but I really can't emphasize how important this is - people have been killed because their secret identities got discovered in my world."

Guise stands, nodding solemnly. "Do not worry, Weaver. We'll be careful about it."

"We'll do as you recommend - you're the one that knows what they are talking about." Chitin affirms.

I smile under my mask. "Thanks. Now - the next thing on my list is to get Pokeballs for you two. I can't act like a trainer without them. But, for that I need money. I've got an inkling about what I could do to earn some, but I would need to do some more investigation first. Does anyone have any ideas of their own?"

Guise speaks up "Have you got anything you could barter with? Pokemarts accept goods in lieu of money - I know my old trainer traded some extra Vitamins for medicine at one point."

A barter system? That's… different. Will I have to brush up on haggling skills? As for goods- the honey!

That goddamn fedora-wearing cheater! How much of this has been orchestrated?

...Whatever. I'll take it - at least I won't have to go baiting muggers to rob myself now. That could have been a recipe for disaster.

"I've got four jars of Vespiquen honey - will that be enough?" I've got a feeling that it will be.

Guise shrugs. "I dunno. You'll just have to wait and see, I guess."

Ok - I've got a plan of action, now: travel to the city, disguise myself using Guise's power, go to this 'Pokemart', trade my honey for Pokeballs and get out of there. Depending on how long it takes to get to the city, I may need to camp outside of the limits while I wait for morning.

"Alright team, we've got a plan, then. Let's start heading towards the city." I gesture in the direction I'm talking about. "-on second thought, can you hold that disguise on me while we travel on the road, Guise? Is there some sort of endurance limit to your power?"

He shakes his head. "It's more of a capacity limit - I can keep an illusion up pretty much all the time, if I wanted to."

"How about multiple ones at once - can you also hide yourself and Chitin?"

"Hide? Not with invisibility - maybe some Zoroark could do it, but I've never managed it myself. I can replace us with something similar-shaped, though. We're both close enough to human-shaped for a human disguise to work. You'll have to be careful that no-one knocks me, or than anyone goes in for personal contact on either of you, though. The first one might break all of the illusions, and the second will make it pretty obvious that something isn't right."

I nod. "Right - we'll go by road in disguises, then. I'll leave it to you to manage the details and make us look inconspicuous. We don't want to be confronted by anyone if we can at all avoid it."

I stand, making my way over to the road. Taking care to check there is nobody nearby, I mount the fence. After I land, my body flickers, the disguise taking its place in my vision. Guise follows suit. Chitin simply flies over the fence, her disguise only taking effect once she is on the other side.

Guise's disguise is a younger man, dark skinned with a prominent nose. On his head is an oversized beret, long locks of braided hair hanging down his back. Chitin is now a large-waisted, lighter-skinned woman. She's wearing a long, billowy dress - not something you'd see someone who intends to be in the wilderness wear. I don't know Guise's thought process on that, but I'll trust that he knows what he's doing. Guise and I both are wearing more typical travelling clothes.

"Keep close to the ground for me, Chitin. I'll have trouble keeping you in that disguise, otherwise."

"Alright, guys. Let's get moving. Codenames for these disguises - they're only temporary, and we shouldn't need to use them. Best to prepare just in case, though. I'm Kelly, you're-" I point to Chitin. "-Belle, and you-" I point to Guise. "-are Benny."

The trip towards Nimbasa city is uneventful. We pass a handful of people, but none give us so much as a second glance. I suspect Guise's hand in that, but don't know for sure. Over the course of a few hours, the sun dips further towards the horizon and the forest beside the road grows thinner.

We don't talk much. Chitin and I keep our eyes on the forest and road, looking out for potential threats. Guise keeps to himself, clearly deep in thought about something or other.

I spend some time giving thought to Guise's ability - it's clearly a mental effect rather than a physical one: there's no way that Chitin could be completely obscured if it's the latter. Can it be trained? I need to ask him more about it as soon as we aren't doing anything else. When we break for camp, maybe?

It's early evening by the time the gatehouse connecting the road to the city is in view. Do we stop, or push on in hopes that the shop stays open late? Maybe Guise will know.

"Benny - that shop you were talking about. Does it stay open late?"

"The Pokemart? It's part of the Pokemon Centre. It stays open all the time."

I don't respond. Really now? That's interesting…

"We're going to push on, then."


	11. 1-10

The gatehouse to the city is ahead. Guise had assured me that they don't ask for papers, but I can't shake the fear I'll be found out.

I suppose I can try to find a different way in, but that may only end up drawing more suspicion to me. No - best to try my luck here in the hopes that Guise's information is correct. I have no reason to suspect it isn't, in any case.

The three of us make it to the gatehouse, entering inside. The building isn't large - a long room a dozen paces long, and even less so wide. White fluorescent lights reflect off of the scuffed tiles of the floor, giving the room a harsh ambiance.

To the side of the room is a wall-mounted TV screen showing a news-broadcast and a guard. I pay no attention to either, simply striding past them. We aren't stopped, and are let into the city without incident.

Thank goodness.

The gatehouse leads directly onto a long street. The streetlights have turned on, and there are a handful of pedestrians going about their business. It doesn't look all that different to the cities that I'm used to.

I turn to Guise. He's looking down the street with an absent interest. "Benny - do you know the way to the Pokemon Centre?"

"Not especially - but I'd suggest just following the signs." He points towards a street sign. One of the arrows was coloured orange, labelled 'Pokemon Centre' and pointed down towards a different street.

Absently, I note that Chitin is rather shocked by the whole experience - she's looking down the street towards the sports stadiums further into the city, an expression of awe plastered across her face. This is her first time in a city, isn't it?

"Alright, in that case, let's get a move on."

Following the signs through the city is uneventful. Most people simply ignore us. A few look down their noses at us, but nobody confronts us. I have a suspicion that the reason for the looks is my smell - not just from living out in the wilderness, either: while Glastig Uaine's treatment had been thorough, a bath had not been included. My costume had been cleaned, but the rest of me still smells absolutely rank from… well, everything that happened before.

Scion's power - the golden beams. The residue it left behind is… cloying. Like glitter. It doesn't even register to me anymore, but I probably smell acrid. Not to mention like dried blood.

I mean, there also is the whole 'being covered in the ashes of dead Capes thing'.

...I want a bath.

I push the thoughts down, distracting myself. Now isn't the time.

What I've seen so far of the city reminds me of parts of Chicago - posh nightclubs and cocktail bars dot the streets. We pass through a couple of well-lit squares occupied by couples out for an evening walk on our way. As we go southward, we start to see more chic clothing boutiques and expensive jewelry shops.

The city obviously has both a lively nightlife and an active fashion scene. Or maybe this is just the standard for this world? I don't know.

One thing that stands out at me is the lack of cars - sure, there's one or two parked here or there, but the streets are completely empty of anybody driving them. Is there some sort of driving curfew? Or maybe driving just isn't very popular in this world - is there some sort of Tinkertech alternative? Teleportation?

The walk to the Pokemon Centre takes about twenty minutes. The building is unique - freestanding, tall glass floor-to-ceiling frosted glass windows set into a steel frame topped off with an orange curved roof. Fluorescent lighting shine from within, giving the building a glow that makes it stand out against the grey concrete of the neighboring office buildings.

Here goes, then.

I steel myself, walking towards the sliding doors. Get in, trade the honey for Pokeballs, get out.

The doors part, allowing us entrance. Inside is a lobby. Against the wall to the right is a bank of computers, screens turned off. One person sat, talking on a video call. To the left is a few lounges - a number of people sat around, conversing animatedly. Against the far wall is a service desk with a Tinkertech machine behind - the place for free healing, maybe?

The person manning the desk, who is dressed as a nurse and has strange pink hair smiles at us. I turn away. Set into the front right corner of the lobby is another desk, various wares arrayed on shelves behind the counter. That must be what I'm after.

I walk up, giving my best PR smile to the clerk. Hopefully Guise manages to mirror it onto my disguise. "Hi - do you guys accept Vespiquen honey?"

The clerk is clearly tired - bags under his eyes, and a hunch to the shoulders. His apron is wrinkled, and his shirt is slightly untucked from his pants. Good - he probably doesn't particularly care for his job, and is less likely to give me trouble over the small stuff.

He wrinkles his nose, but does not say anything. Catching himself, he returns my smile, half hearted. "That we do, ma'am. How much are you looking to trade?"

I definitely smell, judging from that reaction.

Opening my bag and retrieving the jars to place on the counter, I respond "Four jars. How many Pokeballs will that get me?"

He pulls out a scale from under the counter, placing a jar onto it. He takes the weight, clearly not particularly caring for the accuracy of his reading. "I can give you one-fifty-p per jar. If you want Pokeballs, that'll be three base models for the four jars. No change. Will that be all, ma'am?"

"Can I take two and get the rest as cash?"

He nods and returns the scale and takes the jars, putting them behind the shelves. From the shelves, he picks out two miniaturized Pokeballs and places them onto the counter. He goes behind the shelf once again and returns with two coins.

"Two-hundred-p change. Have a good night, ma'am."

I take the balls and money, putting them into my bag. Thanking him, the three of us exit the center. That went far better than I had feared it would.

I address my teammates. They had simply stood back, watching wordlessly while I bought the balls.

"Let's head back to the road. We need to plan and talk."

* * *

Once we're out of the city, we take a left into the forest.

When I'm satisfied that we're out far enough, we start looking for a place to camp. The moon is bright tonight, and Guise apparently has very good night vision. Within an hour from the time that we had left the city, we are situated with a campfire against a large rock formation that jutted up towards the treetops.

We passed a drinking fountain on the way out of the city, so my bottles had been refilled. Dinner, however, is once again berries.

"Alright." I open my bag and retrieve the balls. I turn to Guise. "Anything I should know about these things before I use them?"

He shakes his head. "Other than you, I don't know a single human who hasn't used one. They're pretty much idiot proof. Look - I'll prove it to you."

He stands, walking over to one of the balls. He taps it with his claw and it enlarges. He pushes the button on the front, and the ball opens up. He's sucked inside in a flash of energy. The ball snaps shut, Guise nowhere to be seen. It begins to wobble, rocking back and forth on the ground.

It pings, the rocking ceasing. Is that… good? I move over to it, picking it up. How do you get him back out?

I mirror the stance I had seen the trainers use earlier, palm cupping the back of the ball, arm pointed outward to an empty spot.

Nothing happens.

Is there a button? Other than the one that Guise pressed, no. Said button is stiff, refusing to budge. Some other trigger, then?

I return to the stance, squeezing the ball lightly with my hand.

That does it - a beam of energy springs from the ball, materializing into the form of Guise. He smiles "See? What did I tell you? Idiot proof." He turns to Chitin. "Alright - your turn, Queenie."

Chitin harrumphs, but does not argue. She picks up her ball, enlarging it and pressing the button on the front. She dematerializes into energy, and the ball goes through a similar process.

"What's the deal with the rocking, anyway? Do you know?" The ball pings. I pick it up.

"Yeah - I saw a documentary about Pokeballs once. Most of it went above my head, but the way I understood it is that's when it's setting everything up. It's when the seal on the ball is weakest, so if you're trying to catch an uncooperative Pokemon they've got a chance to break out."

Catch uncooperative Pokemon? People do that? Well… I suppose a belligerent Pokemon could do quite a lot of damage to a city, so a Pokeball would be a rather effective containment measure.

I let Chitin out of her ball.

She materializes and immediately falters in the air before catching herself. "That…" She trails off. "I don't know what to say. That is the strangest thing I have ever experienced." She lands, shaking her head.

I frown. "It wasn't uncomfortable, was it?"

"No- no. I... I think I may just need to get used to it. It was very disorienting. Calling being inside it like a dream doesn't quite do it justice, but I really don't know how to better describe it."

I tap each of the balls. They return to their shrunken size - a handy feature, I think. I place them into the pockets of my costume. I turn back to Chitin. "If you say so. Anyway - we can plan our next steps over breakfast. For now, let's just get some sleep."


	12. 2-1

"We need money. And lots of it. The way I see it, there's two ways we could go about getting some. Both of them have drawbacks of some sort, though."

Chitin buzzes softly, chewing on a berry. "What are your ideas?"

I turn to Guise. "You said that trainers earn money by wagering on battles?" He nods. "Do you foresee any problems with just battling our way to get the money we need?"

He lounges backwards, gazing pensively at his meal for a moment. "Well, even assuming that we win every battle, almost every trainer I've seen uses electronic transfers to handle prize money. You might not be able to find people that carry enough cash on them to be worth your while. You might be able to get some pocket change, but nothing serious."

Damn - that's the easiest option gone, then. I doubt that someone without papers would be able to set up a bank account - and that's even discounting the fact that I'd need a presumably expensive phone to even make use of it.

I sigh. "The other option is vigilantism. I don't know how the criminal underworld works in this world, but appropriating funds from gangs was a fairly lucrative - if dangerous - way to make money for an independent back in my world."

Guise cocks his head, a puzzled expression on his face. "...Gangs? You mean, like, Team Plasma? Why would they have money for us to steal?"

"'Team Plasma'? What do they do? If they're drug dealers, they'd have cash laying around from their sales - leaves less of a paper trail to be tracked by the authorities."

He shakes his head. Chitin is looking back and forth between us, an interested expression on her face. "No- Team Plasma steal Pokemon from trainers. I dunno what they do with them, though. I heard they broke up once, but they're back again apparently."

Stealing Pokemon - maybe something equivalent to a Carjacking ring, then? Except with Pokemon, so maybe more like human trafficking. Yeah - human traffickers is probably a reasonable equivalence.

...I need to do research. Get an idea of the lay of the land before I jump into the underworld.

Chitin speaks up. "What are the drawbacks you are thinking about for each?"

"Well, I don't know how lucrative Pokemon Battling is, but I doubt it'll earn me enough to buy everything I need anytime soon. Even that aside, I don't know what most of being a trainer entails - it seems to me a quick way to out myself by bumbling about like a fool. As for vigilantism, well, depending on what laws this world has, it has the potential to put us on the wrong side of the law. Beside that, we'd be risking death-by-gangster every time we raid a storehouse."

Guise leans forward, an uncertain expression crossing his face. "Neither option is particularly appealing to you, then. Are you sure there aren't any others?"

I shake my head. "My lack of an identity is really limiting my choices. I'm planning on doing research before I make any moves - maybe we'll think of something while we're doing that?" I stand up. "Before we do that, though, I need a wash. I can't exactly go to a library smelling as I am now."

* * *

A dip in a nearby river later, and I'm far more presentable. I had Chitin scare off the fish Pokemon living in the river before I even dipped a toe inside. Guise says he can still smell something on me, but this is the best I can do for now. I also give my costume a quick hand washing in the shallows. Wearing the wet costume isn't pleasant, but ten minutes of sunbaking on a nearby rock has me merely damp rather than soaked.

It's mid-morning by the time we make it back to the gate. Chitin is inside her ball, and Guise gives the both of us fresh disguises. We look fairly similar to the previous disguises - Guise is still a dark-skinned man with a prominent nose, and I'm still a tall woman, but the differences are enough that nobody would mistake us for the same people.

We enter the gatehouse once more. The guard ignores us, and so do the other people who are passing through. Around halfway to the other side, Guise calls out to me. "Kelly - look at this!"

He's facing the TV mounted on the wall. Showing on the screen is a news broadcast. There are big, bold letters across the bottom with the headline '_Reports of TEAM ROCKET Presence in Castelia City?_'.

Team Rocket? Another gang - like Team Plasma? The TV's sound is fairly quiet, but I don't have too much trouble making out what the presenters are saying.

"-with us today is an expert on the topic, Doctor Benz." The screen splits, the expert and the reporter each taking up half of the screen. "Now Doctor, assuming that these reports are true, why would Team Rocket resurface now? And why here in Unova of all places? Last they were seen was almost five years ago when they were operating in the Kanto and Johto regions."

The pundit gives the camera a genial smile. "Well, Mary - we can only speculate. But, I've got a reasonably strong working theory as of a few nights ago when these reports originally surfaced. As you all should know, not twelve months ago we saw a regional crisis averted by former-champion Nate. The disappearance of Ghetsis in the wake of this crisis was the final blow to Team Neo-Plasma, leading to the Team's dissolution on the weeks that followed."

The reporter nods. "I'm sure that by this point almost everyone is well-informed on the subject. How does this relate to Team Rocket?"

Regional crisis? That sounds serious - if everyone should be informed on the topic, I'll need to discreetly keep an ear out for what I can learn. What about 'Team Neo-Plasma'? I'm assuming they're somehow related to Team Plasma - an offshoot group? A revival and name-change after the break-up that Guise mentioned? I don't know.

Doctor Benz smiles. "Of course - now, the part that most don't know is the extent of Team Neo-Plasma's criminal enterprises. Investigators are only now getting to the bottom of things - it was an alarmingly well-kept secret. To put it simply, Team Neo-Plasma did not simply steal and release Pokemon back into the wild - no, their ideological talking points were all merely a facade: instead, they ran an extensive Pokemon Trafficking ring."

The reporter frowns. "We've heard reports of something along those lines, but none of our investigators could turn up any evidence. The Police have also refused to comment on the situation. Do you have any proof you can share?"

He shakes his head. "No - not anything that you can air. What I can say, however, is that I have personally seen strong evidence that suggests this to be the case. Now - with the collapse of Team Neo-Plasma, the criminal underworld was left in a state of serious instability: over a few short years, the team had made themselves indispensable to the operations of other minor criminal organizations. This is where we are today: Team Rocket is now stepping in with a Trafficking operation of their own. They've got a lot of experience with the business - whatever remnants that were left of the organization after the investigations a few years ago must have decided that this was an opportunity too good to pass up."

A conflicted look crosses the reporter's face. "Are you suggesting that there have been members of Team Rocket that were laying dormant for the past five years, waiting for an opportunity?"

He nods. "Absolutely. Say what you will about Giovanni, but all reports point to him being an extremely charismatic leader. I don't doubt that are cells left undiscovered, just waiting for something like this to happen."

The reporter begins wrapping up the segment. I don't stick around - there'll be other opportunities to watch TV later. Leaving the gatehouse, I turn to Guise. "Let's head for a park. I want to pick your brain."

He nods, a small smile crossing his face. "Sure thing."

That news report had been frustratingly thin on the details. Who are Team Rocket? I gathered that they're Pokemon traffickers, and presumably have a leader named Giovanni, but not much else. Whoever they are, they seem to be acting like a gang from my home dimension - jumping into the power vacuum left behind after the dissolution of a previously powerful organization.

The reporter mentioned cells. Is their organization structured like Earth Aleph terrorists? That doesn't seem right to me - decentralization to such an extreme degree just wouldn't work for organized crime.

What about Team Neo-Plasma? It seems that Guise didn't have the full story - or at least only had outdated information. They're traffickers too, but this time their activities had been well hidden behind some sort of ideology. Are they Nazis? I know that 'Neo' just means new, but I can't shake the prefix's association with Nazism. Is it the same in this dimension?

Does this dimension even have Nazis? I don't know.

What about this 'Ghetsis' character? He apparently disappeared, leaving his gang to fall apart. Was he disappeared by someone, or did he just make a break with the organization? A rival gang muscling in on their turf, maybe?

No - that's not right: the report had said that he disappeared in the wake of a 'regional crisis'. Something about the 'former-champion Nate'? Former-champion of what? And what was the crisis? An industrial failure - something like a chemical leak? A nuclear meltdown?

Something less direct, maybe? Corrupt officials being outed?

I don't know anything else about it. Speculating will do me nothing - it could be almost anything.

I need to find out more.

Hopefully Guise knows.


	13. 2-2

"Look, Tay-" Guise cuts himself off, shaking his head. "Kelly. You're being just a little bit unreasonable here."

I look about the park, making sure nobody is around to listen in on our conversation. I had asked Guise what he knows about Team Rocket and 'the regional incident'. He's about as informed on the topics as I am. The news channel hadn't been one that he had frequented, apparently.

He continues, "With the disguises, there's no reason not to just ask people about what you need to know – even in the unlikely event that someone were to figure out that you aren't from around here, what are they going to do? Give a description of us to the Police? Please – even if they decide to look into it, we'd have already left those faces behind by the time they so much as even task an investigator."

I sigh. He's right, of course. Despite his tendency for the dramatic, Guise is a very reasonable person. Why am I even worried about being found out? What's the worst that could happen? Some government official comes and locks me up for a few months while they figure out what to do with me? I suppose that would be the most likely outcome, but it isn't the likely outcome that I'm worrying about.

No – the worst that could happen is being stolen away by government spooks and experimented on for having superpowers in a world where nobody else does.

Still… perhaps I've been playing things a bit too conservatively.

"…You're right. I'd been planning on heading to a library and reading through newspaper archives – maybe the librarian will be willing to help?"

He nods. "I know you like to be prepared for everything, so if she asks why you don't know about things, I'd recommend saying that you've been away from civilization living out in the wild for a long while. It isn't terribly uncommon, from what I gather."

Right then. Time to find a library, then. I stand, looking about the park. There's a middle-aged couple walking hand in hand down the path towards us.

I put on a friendly face. "Excuse me, do you know where the library is?"

The woman gives me a sympathetic smile. "Of course, dearie. You'll be looking for the Nimbasa City Public Library. It's four blocks that way-" she points off in a direction. "Then take a left and follow that road for two blocks. You can't miss it – it's the modern-looking building with the glass front."

I smile, thanking her. Guise follows me, and we head off following the directions she gave us.

Guise shakes his head at me as we leave the park. "See? That wasn't so difficult, was it?"

I snort, holding back a laugh. "Oh – don't you start with me! I'll have you know that paranoia has saved my life more times than I care to count."

Guise's smile drops, his face adopting a pensive expression. "You know, you've told me a bit about your history, but it hasn't really sunk in until just now. You really were in mortal danger frequently, weren't you?"

I nod, but don't elaborate. I may be a cynic, but I don't particularly want to shatter his gilded view of Capes just yet. They don't really exist in this dimension, so correcting him on that point would do nothing but cause him grief.

The rest of our walk is spent in silence.

We arrive at the library. Walking inside, I can see that it looks much the same as the libraries from my world - a front desk, tall shelves packed full of books, and tables occupied by people doing research of some sort.

One thing stands out to me, however: the lack of computers. I've seen them in this world before at the Pokemon Center, so they definitely exist - are they just out the back, maybe?

I walk up to the desk, approaching the librarian with a friendly smile. Guise follows me. "Hi. We're looking for newspaper archives - do you guys have something like that here?"

The librarian is an older woman, grey hair tied back in a bun, wearing an old-fashioned dress that looks like its right out of the sixties. Clipped to her waist is a pair of Pokeballs. So - even the librarians have Pokemon? The practice really is widespread, then.

She smiles back at me. "Of course - we keep them in the back. Follow me." She opens the gate to behind the counter, beckoning me in. I follow. "We don't get too many people interested in them, much less a pair of trainers. What day's paper are the two of you after?"

I consider her question - do I want to just ask directly? Yeah - like Guise said, there isn't really that much risk in it. "I'm looking for the articles on…" I trail off, mentally tallying what I want to know. "The 'regional crisis' that happened twelve months ago, the original breakup of Team Plasma, the formation and breakup of Team Neo-Plasma, the former-champion Nate, and anything you've got on Team Rocket."

Her brow quirks up. "That's quite the assortment. Are you writing a paper or something?" She opens the door behind the counter, leading us into a room filled with drawers helpfully labelled by date.

I shake my head. "No - just catching myself up on current events."

She nods understandingly. "Ah, of course. Terrible news, what's happening down south. I'll have a search of the manifest and help you find what dates you'll be after, in that case. I don't know if we'll have anything about Team Rocket, but we've definitely got plenty on everything else."

She grabs a tablet from its place on one of the cabinets, turning on the screen. It's different to the consumer ones from my dimension - sleeker, slimmer. She begins tapping the screen, listing out dates. I grab out my notepad and pen from the back pocket of my costume, hoping that Guise manages to change the action to something that looks fine with my disguise. Noting down the dates, I end up with a list of about fifteen.

"If there's anything else you want to know, feel free to search the topic on the manifest. Make sure you don't damage the papers, and put them back in the right spots once you're done. I've got to get back out the front, but please just let me know if you need anything."

She puts the pad back down on the cabinet, leaving the room with a warm smile.

Left alone, I knuckle down, working my way through the dates. The process is enlightening - most of the articles about the teams are fairly basic, detailing criminal activities. I learn that Team Rocket aren't just Traffickers. The only article on the list about the group, from about five years before the most recent paper in the archive says that the group also dealt in illegal gambling operations and Technical Machine counterfeiting. The meat of the article is about a terrorist attack, however - apparently the group seized a radio tower in the hopes of getting a message through to Giovanni. Seperate cells trying to link up, maybe? Surely there'd have to be easier ways to manage that - was their goal something else, then?

I don't know, and it doesn't really matter. What's interesting is that Team Rocket has almost all of the staples of the gangs from back home. If they also dealt drugs, they'd be a dead ringer.

Team Plasma is interesting - the group apparently started off as anti-Pokemon-training activists. The Pokemon Trafficking only started when Ghetsis got his claws into a loyal subset of the membership, apparently. The articles say that the original group of activists are still active to a small extent, but the group subverted by Ghetsis is well and truly gone.

From what I've seen, Ghetsis reminds me of Coil, in an abstract sort of way: ruthless, amoral and absolutely megalomaniacal. The papers say that he's out of the picture, so chances are I won't have to deal with him. Good.

Former-champion Nate was once the champion of a 'Pokemon League'. The articles are rather sparse on the details - instead giving a play-by-play of his battle with his predecessor. I ask Guise about the topic. He doesn't know much, but I manage to piece together that the Pokemon League is essentially the step above the Gym Challenge, with the Champion being considered the strongest trainer in the region. What does being the Champion entail? Is it just a title, or is it a job? The article mentioned that Iris, his predecessor, will be handing over her duties as Champion at a later date, so the position must have some measure of responsibilities associated with it.

The last two articles on my list are both to do with the regional crisis.

My eyes widen - Team Neo-Plasma plunging an entire city into a dangerously deep frost, with threats made to extend the freeze over the entire region? Casualties… I scan the article. There's no mention of any.

Team Neo-Plasma was more dangerous than I had assumed. The first article is scant on the details. How did they do it? Tinkertech? Why the break in their modus operandi? Traffickers hardly have a reason to become terrorists.

The grab the second article. It's from a few days later and is far more generous with the details. I start scanning. The first paragraph is a recap of the first article - nothing new. The second…

'Sources on the ground report that Team Neo-Plasma used the power of the Legendary Pokemon Kyurem in conjunction with experimental technology to achieve the freeze. Reports say that League-Challenger Nate, a seven-badge trainer, thwarted the efforts of the Team and freed Kyurem from their possession. No information is available about the Legendary Pokemon's current location, nor how it came to be in possession of the team. The whereabouts of the Team Neo-Plasma leadership is also unclear at this point in time. A Police statement has been released, in which they made it clear that the leadership is still at large. A bounty for information about the leadership has been…'

I stop reading. A 'Legendary' Pokemon with the ability to freeze an entire city? Granted, the article said technology had been used to assist the effort, but even still - what sort of power does this Kyurem have?

...Is it comparable to an Endbringer?

I almost don't want to find out.

I grab the tablet, entering search terms - 'Legendary Pokemon attack', 'City destroyed', 'Kyurem'. I race, pulling out the papers tagged by the search.

The first term gets me nothing - a puff piece on some trainer from the Johto region who said that he had been attacked out in the wilderness by a Legendary Pokemon named 'Entei'. The second isn't any better - something about a volcanic eruption destroying an island town. The only match for Kyurem gets me the article I have already read.

I let out a sigh of relief. If these Legendary Pokemon have powers comparable to Endbringers, they probably aren't using them to destroy cities.

I return to the second article about the regional crisis, picking up where I left off I continue scanning the article.

...Casualties: forty-seven. forty-one from exposure, six found dead of blade wounds.

Almost trivial compared to the death tolls even on a good day with the Endbringers. Less than one percent of the city's inhabitants, according to the article.

I finish the article. The only other thing of note is the motive behind the attack: according to an unnamed source, Ghetsis had been the impetus - he had aspirations of world domination, apparently. I shake my head - if it's true, Ghetsis is far less competent than the article makes him out to be. If it's a falsehood, it tells me nothing.

What else do I want to know? Not much… I think that's answered all of the questions I have. I pack away everything, replacing the papers where I found them.

"Done?" Guise asks.

"Yep. Let's get out of here."

We leave the back room. The Librarian turns to us. "Did you find what you were after?"

"Yes, thank you. That's everything."

She smiles, opening the gate to get out from behind the counter. "Have a good day, Miss."

"You too."

I turn to leave the library, but Guise stops me. "Look at those - you think that she'd be interested?"

I cock my eyebrow, confused - who's 'she'? I look at what he's talking about - a rack of pamphlets. I skim the titles. 'Training and You: Everything you need to know about your League Challenge.', 'Trainer Licensing - what do I need?', 'Pokedex Scholarships: The Complete Guide.', 'Raising Pokemon: From Egg to Elderly' and, 'Adventure Rules!'.

Oh - he's talking about me. A wide grin breaks out on my face. "Yes - I think she'd be very interested." I grab one of each. Hopefully, these will bring me up to speed so that I don't look out of place trying to act like a trainer.

Stowing them into my bag, we leave the library. Judging by the sun, it's a little before midday. "Let's head off to a park. I've got some reading to do." Guise nods, following me.

What do I want to do now? If I want to start pursuing Vigilantism, heading to Castelia City - wherever that is - would be my best bet. How about short term? I need the basics; civilian clothes, food, shelter. Maybe some more Pokeballs. I've only got two-hundred-p - not nearly enough to get everything I need, I'm sure.

What if I do some battling? Get enough for the basics and then start pursuing enough money for a fake ID by stealing from Team Rocket.

Yeah - that's a better idea.

First, though, I want to read these pamphlets.

We arrive at the park, and we find an unoccupied bench to sit at. Guise looks out, idly watching people while I read.

'Training and You: Everything you need to know about your League Challenge.' is rather short - it's a primer on how the League works: challenge any eight of the gyms in any order to be eligible to challenge the Pokemon League, then beat the 'Elite Four' and Champion in battle to earn the title of Champion for yourself. There's a few different recommended Gym Challenge orders, along with a short snippet of information on each Leader, too. Not particularly interesting, but I imagine that it's must-know information for all trainers. It also details the specifics of the rulesets that battles have to abide by - not anything Guise hasn't already told me.

'Trainer Licensing - what do I need?' is all about a single thing: the Pokemon Trainer License. It makes it very clear right up that you don't need a License to have or even to train Pokemon. Apparently, the only things it is needed for are participating in League Battles and League sanctioned tournaments, staying at Trainer Hostels, using the Pokemon Storage System and Travelling internationally with Pokemon. The requirements to get one are sparse, too - beyond being above a certain age, only a Birth Certificate and a character witness is necessary. Granted, I have neither, but I suppose that getting one won't be too much trouble once I get the foundations for my fake identity laid.

'Pokedex Scholarships: The Complete Guide.' isn't useful to me - it merely describes the process by which one applies for a Pokedex and the criteria under which people are eligible. Suffice to say, I fit none of them.

'Raising Pokemon: From Egg to Elderly' is dense - less of a pamphlet and more of a booklet. Forty pages worth of booklet - far too much to read right now. I put it aside: it will be useful later, I'm sure.

'Adventure Rules!' is a single sheet. On the front is a list of 'rules' that people going on a journey should keep in mind. On the reverse is a map of the region. The rules are useless - most of them are common sense, but some of them are just complete nonsense. 'Talk to everyone you meet for information'? That sounds to me like a good way to get bashed. The map, on the other hand, is very useful. It's small, but it should at least give me an idea of the direction I want to go.

That's all of them. The next step - challenging someone to a battle and winning... Have I prepared enough? I've got a feeling that I haven't, but… The best way to learn is by doing, I suppose.

"Right then." I stand up. "Let's go find someone to battle."

A grin breaks out onto Guise's face. "Finally! It's about time."


	14. 2-3

I raise Chitin's Pokeball. I want to at least tell her the plan before I go challenging anyone to a battle. I'm in an area of the park where other trainers are sitting with their Pokemon out, so I assume that it's fine for me to do the same.

She materializes in a flash of light. She looks about, taking in the area - she doesn't seem particularly disoriented. "That was much better than the first time."

"I'm glad. Alright - here's the plan: we're going to do some battling to earn some money for the basics. Once we've got that, we'll be leaving the city to pursue the other plan."

She nods, accepting my words without question. "Good. What do you need from me?"

Chitin, I've noticed, is a very serious person. Unlike Guise, she gets right down to business. I've got no problem with either of them, but it's an interesting distinction. Is it because Guise was raised by humans?

"Guise won't be battling. He's got to maintain my disguise - at least I can afford some civvies, anyway. That means that we're going to be doing one-on-one battles. I've already seen what you can do - is there anything I should know about your abilities before we jump in? Ideally, I'd do some training with you first, but I figure that these-battles are low-stakes enough to serve the same purpose."

She shakes her head. "No - you've seen pretty much all I know about them already. I'm ready."

"Not quite - I've got to explain what counts as a foul in a formal battle so you don't accidentally disqualify us and forfeit our wager." I retrieve the pamphlet that has a list of the rules of battling. "No attacking the trainers or spectators. Once the opposing Pokemon has been knocked out, you can't continue your attacks on them. No using moves or techniques when the enemy side doesn't have an active Pokemon on the field." I put away the pamphlet. "That's about all that you need to worry about."

She shakes her head. "Rules on a battle… I shall abide by them, but such restrictions continue to puzzle me."

"Alright. Thanks - I'll call you out again when I've found someone to battle."

She nods, and I return her to the ball.

"So." I turn to Guise. "Any idea where I might find someone to battle?"

He shrugs. "Passing by people on the routes between cities. At the Pokemon center, maybe. I think there's a battlefield nearby that's free for everyone to use."

"Right." I grab my bag, and we start heading towards the center. The walk is short, and we arrive within a few minutes.

I stop outside the doors. What do I do? Just walk in and ask for a battle?

A voice calls out. "Hey!"

I turn around. It's a girl - maybe seventeen years old, about as tall as me, blonde hair done back in a bun, wearing smart-casual clothes and with two Pokeballs clipped to her belt. I think she's a trainer, but her clothes look more like what someone would wear to a job interview - jacket, button-up blouse, long pants, and leather satchel.

She smiles at me. "You look lost. Are you two new trainers?"

I stop myself from narrowing my eyes. Is she just being friendly, or does she have more nefarious intentions? Internally, I scold myself. No - of course she's just being friendly.

I put on a smile. "Yeah. Is it that obvious?"

She nods. "It is if you know what to look for - usually it's only really new trainers that have just one Pokemon." she points at my belt, where an illusory image of Chitin's Pokeball is clipped. "Hi - my name's Claire. I'm only just starting out too."

I don't want to give out my actual name - not while I'm in disguise or my costume, anyway. "...My name's Kelly. Nice to meet you."

Guise smiles. "Benny. I'm not a trainer, though."

She acknowledges him with a nod, then turns back to me. "So, Kelly, you just here for the healing?" She begins walking inside and I follow.

If she's new as well, maybe she'd be a good person to battle? We walk over to the counter. "No - I'm looking for a battle. I need some money for supplies before I head back out."

"Oh? Is that a challenge I hear?" Her smile twists into a coy grin. She puts her Pokeballs onto a tray provided by the nurse, thanking her. I shake my head when the nurse looks at me questioningly.

I chuckle, "Only if you want it to be." The nurse loads the balls into the healing machine and presses some buttons on an interface.

She hums. The nurse unloads the balls from the machine and puts the tray in front of her. She thanks the nurse, taking back her Pokeballs. "I think I might take you up on that. I've got a new catch that needs some experience. You know where the battlefield is?"

Claire turns around and we leave the center. "No - I'm assuming that you do?"

"Sure do. So, what's the story between you two?" Flicks her gaze between the two of us. "Travelling partners?" She cuts herself off, shaking her head. "No, that's not right -" She looks at Guise. "-you aren't a trainer."

We start walking, Claire leading the way. There's a flea nestled in a fold of her jacket, so if she makes a sudden move towards me I should be able to react in time. She seems honestly friendly, but it's best to be prepared just in case.

Guise chuckles, "No - nothing like that. We're old friends and I decided to spend the day with her before she headed off." His lie is perfect - I can't detect a hint of dishonesty in him. Is that just a product of his illusions, or is he just a naturally good liar?

She nods "Ah, I see. So, where are you headed next, then?"

"Castelia City. How about you? Are you heading out or staying for a while?"

"I just arrived here from Driftviel, but I'm probably not going to stick around. I've got business in Nuvema town with Professor Juniper that I need to attend to."

Professor Juniper? The name is familiar… Oh! The pamphlet about a Pokedex Scholarship - she's the person that handles everything. "Are you getting a Pokedex?"

She laughs "Yeah - how'd you know?"

A wry smile touches my lips. "Lucky guess. How'd you qualify for one, anyway?"

She shakes her head "Oh - It's not for one of those Scholarships. My mother's pretty influential over in the Hoenn region. She pulled some strings and set one up for me when I finally started my journey."

Ah - nepotism. Well, I can't exactly blame her: I'd do the exact same thing in her position. We turn the corner, continuing down the street.

She continues "Anyway, what made you start your Journey so late? I know Unova's typical trainer starting age is fourteen - you look almost twenty to me."

That's an uncomfortable question. I don't really have an answer that I can give her. I shrug. "I dunno. Didn't seem right to start back then, so I pushed it back. I guess I only found the opportunity to start recently." There - a complete non-answer. Hopefully that should pass muster. "How about yourself? I don't know the starting age for the Hoenn region, but I imagine you're a few years older than that."

She snorts, a wry grin breaking out onto her face. "A few, you say! The starting age in Hoenn is twelve - I'm nearly eighteen. Anyway, the reason I didn't start until now is the work of my mother." Her smile drops "She's got a bit of a reputation to uphold. Apparently having a novice trainer for a daughter is a 'bad look'." She huffs. "It's important enough to her that she barred me from becoming a trainer completely until I met her exacting standards, and even still she doesn't want me going on a journey in Hoenn, the frigid bitch."

There's more than a hint of resentment in her voice. Does her mother have the undesirable sort of reputation, or is she simply tired of chafing under her rules? She shakes her head, a regretful tone entering her voice. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be venting about personal issues to a stranger like that."

It seems that she's forgotten about Guise. He's hanging back behind us, giving us some space. Is he just being courteous, or does he not want to risk accidentally break his illusions? "No - it's fine. You sounded like you needed it."

She sighs. "...Yeah, I suppose so. Thanks for listening." We turn another corner, and I can see that a small field is off to one side. "Here's the battlefield. Looks like nobody is there at the moment."

We cross the road, passing through a gate to enter the field. It's fairly sparse - a dirt floor, painted blue cinder block walls and an open roof.

I turn to Claire. "Right then - is a one-on-one single battle with a two-hundred-p cash wager fine by you?" I'm glad that I memorized the terminology for each of the battle rulesets from that pamphlet now.

"Only two-hundred? I thought you needed money for supplies?"

I wince. Rubbing the back of my neck, I admit, "I'm more than a little strapped for cash at the moment. I wouldn't be able to honour a wager for anything more."

She returns my wince with one of her own. "Shi-" She cuts herself off. "-I'm sorry…" She trails away, uncertain. "Look. I've got a new team member that needs experience on the battlefield - how about I hire you to battle me two or three times? It's not how trainers usually do things, but he's a wild one and pretty desperately needs to be tempered with some actual experience of how trainer battles go."

I let out a sigh of relief. "I don't know how much help my team or I would be, but that sounds like exactly what I need. Thank you. You'll be helping me out a bunch." I might be laying it on too thick, but a little gratitude never did anybody any harm.

She beams, smiling at me brightly. "It's no problem - really." She walks over to one end of the field, gesturing for me to go to the other end. "Now! Let's go!"

I walk over to where she had gestured. Guise follows, standing a few steps behind me. She unclips one of her Pokeballs from her belt. I follow, and we raise them to the field.

"Come on out, Solosis!"

Wordlessly, I release Chitin onto the field. Solosis is small - about the size of a human head. It looks like a lime with a mouth and eyes, covered in a smooth layer of goo. It floats off the ground, bobbing slightly in place.

She stares at the thing, then turns to look at me, her mouth twisting into a wicked grin. "This is our opponent? I shall ensure we emerge victorious." She turns back to Solosis - I can only imagine the look she's giving the thing.

Claire's eyes are wide. "A Vespiquen? That line's a pretty unusual choice for a starter. Impressive, too, if she's already managed to evolve!" She recognised Chitin's species on sight? Is she just knowledgeable about Pokemon, or is that common knowledge? "Alright then, let's go! Solosis, use Light Screen!"

That's right - trainers are meant to give commands to their Pokemon in battle. "Defend Order!"

Solosis' eyes furrow in concentration, and it erects a transparent yellow bubble around itself. A forcefield? That seems likely - something similar to Shielder's power, perhaps. Chitin's swarm pours out, dissolving into a forcefield of her own.

Nodding to herself, Claire gives a second order. "Reflect!"

I adjust my stance, settling into the posture I've used to intimidate hardened villains. Granted, it's far more effective when I'm covered in my swarm, but merely looking confident has its own merits. "Power gem!"

A second forcefield appears around Solosis, this time a wondrous rainbow colour. A second layer for more protection? Chitin fires off her attack, and it pings against the yellow shield. Solosis' eyes wince under the barrage - can we break through with enough power?

"Slash!"

"Get out of the way and counter with a Hidden Power, Solosis!"

Vespiquen darts forward, claw lengthening and glowing with power. Solosis leisurely floats off to the side in a lame attempt to get out of the way. Vespiquen merely pivots in the air, claw hammering down onto the barrier with a righteous crash. Her claw passes through the yellow shield entirely, but bounces off of the rainbow one.

The shield holds, but Solosis is visibly disturbed by the attack. It scrunches it's eyes up, glowing with power. I don't know what 'Hidden Power' is, but I don't want Chitin hit by it, if I can avoid it.

"Fly up to dodge, then back down for another Slash!"

Chitin takes into the air, and the energy suffusing Solosis explodes into pale orange orbs which peel off and begin tracking towards Chitin. The projectiles are fast - too fast for Chitin to dodge or outspeed. They splash against the barrier erected by Defend Order, not causing any appreciable injury.

Claire makes a sound of annoyance and begins quietly muttering to herself. "That doesn't look very effective to me. Damn. Our only option is to stall." She's not quiet enough, though - I can hear every word she's saying. Chitin pivots in the air - heading straight towards Solosis. "Use Charm!" She shouts.

Solosis looks up at Chitin with a pitiable expression. Is it trying to convince Chitin to go easy? Foolish - Chitin should know better.

She cocks her arm back, claw glowing once more with energy. This time, the glow is more dull than before. My brows raise - don't tell me that she actually fell for that ploy? No… that's not right - maybe that look had actually been a Master power?

Shit - I think it might have been. It looks to be a weak one, though.

Chitin's slash connects, bouncing off Solosis' shield once more. Taken aback, she darts backwards, getting some space. She turns her head towards me, looking over her shoulder "Weaver! The enemy has sapped my strength! What do I do?"

I ignore her slip - now isn't the time to address it. I consider her words - if it's her strength that has been affected, perhaps a Blaster power will work better than a Striker one? "Keep your distance, use Power Gem!"

"Hidden Power!"

The two exchange attacks, neither mobile enough to avoid the other's. Both splash impotently against the other's barrier. Chitin's Power Gem seems to have been unaffected by Solosis' 'Charm' power. It looks to me like we've reached a steady-state: neither of us can pierce the defences of the other, so we're left simply wailing away, waiting for the others protections to break.

We both give another set of commands. I think - what options do Chitin and I have? Slash doesn't work, so I imagine that Fury Swipes wouldn't be much better. Gust? I don't think so - it barely managed to strip bark from a tree: if Power Gem doesn't work, then neither will mere wind.

That's it, then. The fight has turned into a typical Brute slugging match - keep hitting the other guy and hope that their super-powered-durability gives way first. Frustrating. I need to work on Chitin's repertoire to prevent a recurrence of something like this - a decisive victory may be key in some situations.

The attacks land, but something changes - the yellow shield around Solosis falters, before failing entirely. Did we break it, or did it expire? It doesn't matter - this is our chance!

"Power Gem! Give it all you've got!"

"Quick! Light Screen!"

Chitin darts forward, launching shimmering projectiles with a fervour. They pepper Solosis, unaffected by the remaining barrier. Solosis doesn't fall, but it definitely looks to be hurting from the hit.

Just as quickly as the yellow barrier had been erected, the rainbow barrier falls in much the same way as the yellow one. My eyes widen - one shield failure after another? I seize the opportunity. Slash had passed right through the yellow barrier earlier - that will have to do.

"Slash!"

The expression on Claire's face is defeated, but she gives her orders with determination. "Reflect! Before you get hit!"

Chitin moves in, claws raised and dully glowing. Solosis' face is scrunched in concentration, but her blow lands before it can raise another shield. The strike decides the match, and Solosis falls to the ground.

Claire raises her Pokeball, returning Solosis. Chitin floats over to me, a triumphant expression on her face. I give her an honest smile. "Good work. We'll talk about how you can improve later." I raise her ball, returning her.

I had spotted several minor things in Chitin's technique that could be improved: nothing significant, but I might be able to leverage her Slash attack to be just the smallest bit more effective. I figure that using that power isn't too much different to fighting with a long-bladed knife, so it's something that I know a thing or two about.

Claire walks over, extending her hand. "That was a good match. I wasn't expecting to win, but you accounted yourself far better than I had anticipated."

I take the handshake. She looks down at my hand with a strange expression on her face. Shit - the disguise. She can feel my silk costume gloves, not my skin. I nod, completely ignoring the look. "You think so? Thanks - you weren't bad yourself." I've just got to play it cool, and hopefully she'll dismiss it as her imagination. We release each others hands. "So, you think that you got what you were looking for from that?"

She shakes her head, as if to dismiss errant thoughts. "I'll have to have a chat with Solosis to find that out. We'll need to take another trip to the center." An honest smile breaks onto her face. "How about I treat you to lunch after that, then we can do round two in the afternoon?"

Internally, I berate myself - that had been completely stupid of me. I could have just completely blown my cover there. Still… she seems to have not thought too much of it. Not to mention… lunch sounds very appetizing right now - a break from the berries will be much appreciated. It's a risk - the smart thing to do would be to break ties entirely, and change my face... but her offer is just too tempting to pass up.

I smile at her. "I think I'd like that."


	15. 2-4

As we're walking out of the Pokemon Center, Claire asks, "Is Sandwich Shack fine by you?"

I nod. "Sure. I'll eat anything."

We had idly chatted about the battle on the walk back to the Center. It had been nice, but I didn't learn anything particularly enlightening from the conversation. The most I got was the impression that Claire is rather well-informed when it comes to the particulars of Pokemon Training.

"Good to know - there's one a block or so that way." She points down the street and we begin moving, Guise following behind us once again. "So - I've told you a bit about myself. Where are you from? Your accent tells me that you're Unovan - am I right?"

Damn - this is a subject I need to be careful around. I can't give specifics, but dodging the question entirely would look suspicious. I suppose that if my accent sounds Unovan, it'd be best to play along.

"Yeah - you got it. I'm from down south - I didn't exactly leave my home town amicably though, so it's a bit of a touchy subject." There's a grain of truth in there, but that's the best I can do working off of the limited information I've got. When I set up my fake identity, I'll have to do some research on wherever I'm supposed to be from. I change the subject. "So, what's the story behind how you met Solosis?"

If she thinks the change of subject is odd, she doesn't comment. "Oh, him? We met a couple of days ago on Route Five. Floated right up to me and asked to be caught. The lazy bugger thought he'd be in for an easy ride - free food and protection."

My brows raise. "Really? That's rather… mundane. Was the battle we just had you trying to convince him otherwise?"

She shakes her head, a dry smile crossing her lips. "Before I caught him, I managed to convince him that he needed to earn his keep. The battle was to prove to him that practice is necessary if he wants to do well. I had the feeling that motivating him to join in on training sessions would have been difficult if he still thought that he could take all comers. How about you and your Vespiquen? Did someone give her to you, or did you trade for her?"

"Neither. I stumbled across her hive a couple of days ago as it was being destroyed by wild Heracross. After we drove them off, we stuck together. She didn't have enough of a hive left to go back to, and I needed a team." I take care not to mention that 'drove them off' meant stabbed through the eye with a knife.

She stops, mouth hung agape and eyes wide in surprise. What? Was it something I said?

"You're telling me that she's wild!? And that you've only had her on your team for a couple of days?"

"Yeah, that's about the short of it. Why?"

She sputters. "Why!? Just about every trainer gets a Pokemon that has been raised by humans as their first. Too many wild Pokemon, especially ones that have already evolved like Vespiquen, are way too unruly for complete novices to handle. You really are totally new to training, aren't you?"

I begin walking again. Claire follows, shaking herself out of her disbelief.

"My Pokemon and I have an understanding. She'll back me to the hilt. Is that so hard to believe?"

"If I didn't just see proof of it with my own eyes, yeah - it is." She sighs. "Look, Vespiquen are a dangerous species. Don't do something like that again. Please - you could get hurt."

I put on a smile. She's underestimating me, but I don't really have an issue with it - her concern is a little touching, really. "There were mitigating circumstances, but sure. I don't plan on it, anyway. So, how about your starter? I haven't seen it yet."

"Who, Jack? He's a Spheal, and was a gift from my Mother. He's the son of Mother's own Walrien and the Pokemon of one of Mother's colleagues. We've been together for a few years at this point." The names of the Pokemon mean nothing to me - I suppose that Spheal sort of sounds like seal, but that could just be a coincidence.

I notice that we've just arrived outside the restaurant. We head inside.

The place looks pretty much exactly like a restaurant from my own Earth. Booths with leather seats. Windows looking out onto the street. Wooden tables with salt and pepper shakers, menus and plastic cutlery placed on top. Tacky decor - in this case, themed around some strange Pokemon that I don't recognise. There's a counter with a waitress behind who is preparing a drink for another customer. Behind that, I can see parts of a kitchen.

We head over to a booth seat, Claire and I sit down. "So -" She's interrupted by a ringing - a phone call? Guise raises his wrist, checking the screen of the watch-phone that I had seen other trainers use earlier.

He shakes his head. "Sorry ladies, this is an important call. I won't be joining you for lunch. Don't worry about me - I'll just take this outside."

That's good thinking on his part - this way, he won't have to worry about trying to eat himself while maintaining a reasonable illusion, nor worry about accidentally being bumped by Claire or I in the confines of the booth. He leaves the restaurant, sitting down on one of the bollards that lined the footpath.

Claire turns to me. "Is he a businessman?"

I smile and nod. "Something like that." I grab a menu from the table. "What are you thinking?"

She picks up a menu of her own, and I begin perusing the options. I don't recognise much of it - I spot the names of some berries that Chitin had shown me, but that's about it. I could go for a beef and gravy sandwich about now - too bad that doesn't look like an option.

A pang of melancholy hits me. That probably won't ever be an option, if there aren't any cows in this dimension.

At the bottom, I notice a key; the standard stuff is there - gluten free option, and so on. Except, rather than vegetarian, there's an icon for 'contains lab-grown meat'. I look back through the options - of the twelve or so sandwiches offered, only two have meat on them.

Is eating meat rare in this world? That's… I don't know what to think of that. Why? Because of Pokemon, presumably - are they all as intelligent as Guise and Chitin? No, that can't be right - I saw fish Pokemon in the river: they can't be on the same level as two humanoids.

How about the 'lab-grown' part? I'd heard Earth Aleph was pursuing technology along those lines. I suppose that with everything I've seen about this dimension so far, the idea isn't too far fetched.

Would eating meat be a faux pas among trainers? It might.

But…

I really want a beef and gravy sandwich. If I can't have that, something similar will do.

Claire hums, reading through her own menu. "I'm partial to the classic Sitrus and Oran myself. You?"

I look at the two meat sandwich options - 'Spicy Emboar strips with Tamato sauce and Qualot slices' and, 'Roasted Bouffalant in Chilan sauce'. Spicy doesn't sound like what I'm looking for, so I'll try the other one.

"I'm thinking Roasted Bouffalant."

She raises an eyebrow. Before seeming to come to a realisation. "You weren't kidding when you said that you would eat anything, were you?" She shakes her head. "I've never eaten Pokemon meat, but I suppose that there isn't really any problems with the lab-grown stuff."

I put down my menu "Is it a taboo in Hoenn?"

She does the same, shaking her head "No - it's more of a thing that trainers just don't do. My family are all trainers, so I never really got a chance to try it myself. You know what… I think I'll have the same. It'll be good to try something new."

The waitress finishes serving the other customer, and walks over to our table. "What can I get you two?" She takes out a notepad and pen, waiting for our order.

Claire smiles, putting on a friendly expression. "Two Bouffalant Sandwiches, thanks."

The waitress gives us a surprised look - is it really that unusual for trainers to eat meat? But she doesn't say anything about it. "Can I get you any drinks with that?"

She nods "Yeah, I'll have a Chocolate Moo-moo-milkshake."

The waitress turns to me. A Chocolate shake sounds great to me. "I'll have the same, thanks."

The waitress thanks us, the leaves for the counter. I turn back to Clair. "So, what are your plans once you've got your Pokedex?"

"Well, I'll start looking at taking on the gym challenge. I haven't settled on an order yet, so I might just end up wandering. How about you? Planning on taking on the gyms too?"

I nod "It's definitely something I want to do at some point, but I won't be able to really make a start until I finish up my business in Castelia."

"Fair enough, I suppose. So - got any ideas for which Pokemon you want on your team? I'd jump at the chance for an Emboar, but they're pretty rare so I don't really see that happening."

The waitress returns, placing the two milkshakes in front of us. We each take a sip - it's good. A little different to the milkshakes from back home, but very tasty. "Not anything in particular - more bugs, I suppose. If I could control one, a Pinsir would be pretty good."

She cocks her head. "You planning on being a Bug specialist? There aren't too many of them around - especially compared to, say, Water Specialists."

Specialist? I suppose that must mean a trainer that only trains a particular sort of Pokemon. I shake my head, taking another sip from my drink. "Not really, but I might end up with a few more than usual." I've already got Guise, after-all. Restricting myself to a single subset of the Pokemon available to me seems foolish at best.

"Fair enough. Pinsir are a force to be reckoned with, if you can get their loyalty. If I recall correctly, they aren't really victim to the usual problem that most other Bug types have - poor long-term growth potential."

"What do you mean? I haven't heard anything like that before."

She takes a sip from her drink. "I forget that you don't have a trainer background like I do. I suppose that if you didn't grow up around trainers, these sort of things aren't that obvious." She pauses, composing her words. "Well, there isn't too much more to it - most Bug type Pokemon just don't have the capacity to reach the levels of power that other types do. A well trained Dragon will always outclass an equally well trained Bug in terms of raw ability, to give an example. Of course, that doesn't mean there isn't a place for Bugs on a balanced team - just that if you're looking for a powerhouse, you'd best look elsewhere."

I nod. I suppose that makes sense. I'm not particularly surprised to hear that there are Dragon Pokemon, either - compared to intelligent, bipedal, illusion-making wolves that's fairly mundane. "And there are exceptions to that? Like what?"

She hums, thinking. "Well, off the top of my head; Heracross, Scizor and Volcarona. There's probably more, but those are the ones that usually come to mind when someone says 'powerful Bug type'."

The waitress returns, laying the two plates in front of us. "Enjoy the meal, ladies. Would that be all?" Claire nods, thanking her. She leaves, and I look at my sandwich. The meat looks fairly similar to beef, I suppose. The sauce doesn't look like gravy though - it's white. Maybe it's similar to the white sauce from my own dimension? Overall, it looks appetizing, and smells even better.

I pick up my sandwich. "Looks delicious."

Claire makes an uncertain noise, not saying anything. She picks up her own sandwich, and we each take a bite.

We spend the rest of the meal making small-talk about the food. It was pleasant, and the food was as good as it looked. The Chilan sauce was entirely unlike anything I had tasted before - it had the consistency of well-mashed potato, but had hints of sweetness. It wasn't terrible, but gravy would have been far better. Claire had been initially uncertain about the meat, but she eventually got over whatever qualms she had and finished the meal.

Claire picks up a napkin, cleaning the sauce from her fingers. "I enjoyed that way more than I thought I would. I might have to try meat again sometime." Her smile is happily content.

I finish off the last of my shake. "Yeah, that really hit the spot."

She tilts her head, thinking. "Say, I'll be passing back through Castelia after I get my Pokedex. Maybe we should meet up again then?"

I smile. "Sure, I'd like that." This has been really nice - it's been too long since I had the chance to just talk with someone like this.

A pang of guilt hits me. Claire doesn't know my face - I've been talking to her under false pretenses this entire time. I don't really have an explanation that I can give her, either.

Her smile almost glows with happiness. "It's a date, then! How about… two weeks from now, the main Castelia Pokemon Center at eleven?"

"That's fine by me."

We stood up, and Claire paid the bill. We left the restaurant, and Guise conveniently finished his 'call' just as we were walking out. Walking back to the battlefield, we made smalltalk about Guise's 'work'. I'm surprised at just how well he can think on his feet - his cover is self-consistent and detailed enough not to arouse suspicion.

Before we started the battle, Claire spoke quietly with Solosis on her side of the field. Apparently his reaction didn't meet her expectations, because we went ahead with battle. It went much the same as the first - Solosis had good defenses, but just didn't have the offensive capability to match up against Chitin.

It was another long battle, but Chitin eventually came away with another win.

"Good match." Claire didn't offer another handshake. I don't know what to think about that - what did she think had happened?

"Yeah. Hopefully that'll be enough to motivate Solosis."

She nods. "Yeah, hopefully." She opens her satchel, rummaging around in it. She produces a thin wad of bills. "As promised, your payment. Eight-thousand-p. That should be enough to get everything you need to start off a journey. I insist - you've been a great help"

She offers the wad to me. Is that a lot of money? I don't know - it seems like it is. Our meals and drinks had been two-thousand-p all up - assuming that it cost the same for a sandwich and shake here as it does in my world, that's probably about equivalent to a bit over one-hundred dollars. It doesn't feel right to take it, but this is exactly what I need most right now.

I take the bills from her, uncertain. "Thank you Claire. Really - you didn't need to do this."

She huffs, smiling. "Oh, please. What else am I going to do with the money? I've already got everything I need for my journey. Oh - make sure you get a cross-transceiver. I want to be able to get your number from you when we meet back up again in Castelia!" She laughs, and walks towards the gate to the battlefield. "I'll see you later, Kelly!"

She leaves, leaving me alone in the empty battlefield. A dull melancholy settles over me. She truly is genuinely a nice person. Could we really be friends?

I…

I don't like deceiving her like this.

The smart thing would be to just not show up to our meeting in Castelia. She's likely already cottoned on to the fact that I'm not what I appear to be. But…

I don't want to make myself do that.


	16. 2-5

It's time for me to buy supplies. My first stop is a hole-in-the-wall electronics retailer. I manage to pick up a refurbished older-model cross-transceiver with a charger included for two-thousand-p. Not bad at all - maybe electronics are a lot cheaper in this dimension?

The thing has already been charged, and when I turn it on, I'm surprised to find that it doesn't need a sim-card or anything. It's fairly bare-bones - the thing does audio and video calls, has a compass, a clock, a calendar and not much else. No internet, no options for custom software, no map, no radio, no storing or playing music. It has the ability to do electronic money transfers, but it tells me that I need to set up an account with a bank first.

Clothes are next on my list. I buy two pairs of jeans, a belt, two shirts, a coat, two sets of smallclothes and a pair of hiking boots for four-thousand-p. The boots are the bulk of that - I make sure to get a quality pair. Most of the clothes I buy are from goodwill shops, so that drives the cost down a bit.

That leaves me with two-thousand-two-hundred-p. What else do I need?

I've got water-bottles and a good bag, thanks to Contessa. Rations? More Pokeballs, maybe? A first-aid kit?

A compact first-aid kit runs me four-hundred-p from the pharmacist. Two more base-model Pokeballs is another four-hundred on top of that. My bag is nearing full at this point, so I ask for the bathrooms in order to change into my new clothes.

The Pokemart clerk points me to where I want to go, and I find them easily enough. The bathroom is empty, and Guise waits outside. His illusion drops as soon as I'm inside. I quickly go inside a stall.

Stripping out of my costume, the unsightly mess of scars that is my skin is revealed. Glastig Uaine's healing hadn't removed them - whether she had been instructed to leave them by Contessa, or simply did not care to, I don't know.

I stare at the reflection of my face in my mask's lens. For whatever reason, one thing she had fixed was my vision - no more glasses for me. I hadn't initially noticed because Contessa had also switched out the lenses in my mask. I'm grateful - it means far less hassle for me.

The bullet scar where Contessa had shot me through the head is plain for the world to see. On my arm, the ragged burn-scar where Lung had cauterized my stump, only for it to be grown back later stands out against my pale skin. Countless other smaller ones dot my limbs and torso - too many to remember where I got them from. My time in the Wards, maybe? The fights with the Endbringers? The fight with Scion? Before I switched sides?

All of the above, most likely.

There are the remnants of other scars there, too. Hidden - mostly healed with time. Where Bonesaw had cut into my head. The ones from my fight with Bakuda. The locker.

None of my scars hold pleasant memories. My costume may have protected me from a lot of things, but it can't protect me from everything.

I shake myself from my introspection, changing into my new clothes. I fold my costume up, packing it away at the bottom of my bag. There's quite a bit more space, now - mostly thanks to the absence of my new boots and coat.

I attach Chitin and Guise's Pokeballs to the clips on my belt. I'm not sure how the clips work - magnets, maybe? But in any case, they stick firmly - I'm not going to accidentally lose a Pokeball just because I was being a little acrobatic. I clip my knife to my belt too, for good measure. I had spied a few older trainers with one earlier in the day, so I don't think it's against any laws here to carry one.

Regardless, it's mostly hidden by my coat - I'll still be able to draw it easily, but the hilt isn't displayed for everyone to see, so I shouldn't have any problems.

I leave the stall. Looking at myself in the mirror, I look just like any other trainer. A pair of Pokeballs on my belt, ragged clothing and sturdy shoes. Maybe a little paler than usual, but nothing too out of place.

Good.

I leave the bathroom, and Guise - no, Leo, now that I'm out of costume - covers my face with his illusion. I probably don't need it anymore - I had seen all of four security cameras during my entire time in the city - but coming out of the bathroom with a different face to the one I had gone into it with would be a little suspicious. None of the cameras had been in public spaces, either - all of them had been inside businesses. I suppose that's a fairly serious strike against the notion that there's some sort of surveillance network in this dimension.

It's getting late in the afternoon at this point. I'll need to act soon if I want to pick up some food before the stores close. I manage to make it in time, and spend four-hundred-p on two packets of 'Trainer Survival Rations'. According to the label, each packet contains four bars of 'Nutritious, non-thirst-provoking sustenance suitable for humans and Pokemon', with each bar apparently enough to replace food for an entire day in a survival situation.

That claim sounds rather outrageous at face value - each bar isn't a great deal larger than the typical granola bar from my own dimension, but with all the technology I've seen so far, it doesn't seem too unreasonable to me that they've somehow engineered the bars to be hyper-nutritious.

What's my next step?

Castelia City.

I fish out the pamphlet containing a map from my bag. I'm in Nimbasa City right now so I need to head…

Directly south. About two times the distance to the bridge that I had seen back out in the forest is from here. That makes it about a two-day journey, assuming that there's a road that I can walk on. What sort of conditions should I expect?

The map is frustratingly sparse on the details. The part of the peninsula that I need to cross is coloured a sort of beige. What does that mean? Badlands? Desert? Moor? I don't know. There's a forest relatively nearby, so I can't imagine it being terribly dry.

There's only one way to find out, I suppose. I don't have anywhere to sleep in the city, so I want to get some distance and find somewhere to camp before the sun actually sets. By my estimate, I've got about an hour-and-a-half of usable light left in the day.

There's no time like the present.

I make my way towards the south of the city. Within ten minutes, I find another gate, much like the northern one. Leo and I enter. Unlike the one at the north of the city, however, this one is lined with merchant stalls. Business has ended for the day, so thankfully all of the vendors are too busy packing up to hawk their wares at me.

We pass by, unnoticed. Exiting out the other side, I'm met with a blast of warm, dry air. In front of me, there's a road stretching southward. Further in the distance is a raised highway that the road passes under. To either side of the road are tall, rocky hills and the ground between the hills and the road is sandy.

The change in climate is absolutely jarring - not twenty minutes north by foot is an absolutely verdant forest, and here I am, staring into a scene that wouldn't look out of place in New Mexico. Maybe it would be better to sleep in the city. I'd be burning through valuable water if I made a start now and slept out in the wilderness - in a climate like this, that could be deadly.

Yeah. That's the sensible choice here. I turn to Leo. "I'm going to have to find a place to sleep in the city, then head out in the morning. I wasn't expecting a desert."

A sardonic grin crosses his face. "Yeah. It's a bit of a shock." He stifles a yawn. "If it's all the same to you, could I go back in my ball? I've been keeping up illusions pretty much all day and I'm due for a bit of shut-eye."

"Sure thing. Great work." Unclip his ball, returning him. Placing it back onto my belt, I turn around and head back into the city.

Alright, then. I need to find a place to sleep. I burn the rest of the daylight on a park bench reading through the pamphlet about raising Pokemon. I don't make it too far in, and what I do learn is rather trivial.

I figure out from the some labelled diagrams concerning Pokemon diets that the word 'berry' in this dimension has a far wider meaning than it did in mine. I mean, I already had a bit of an inkling that that is the case, considering that Gwen called the cantaloupe sized fruit she likes an Iapapa Berry. But, it seems to me that the term applies to pretty much anything edible grown on a plant that isn't a seed, nut, root or leaf.

The most interesting tidbit I get, however, is that almost all Pokemon can sustain themselves off of a non-meat diet - thanks to the very high nutritional content of most berries. The booklet also notes that wild captures who are used to a meat diet may not be easily convinced to switch to a berry diet.

I suppose that makes sense. From what I gather from the tone of the writing, there's a bit of a stigma around killing and eating wild Pokemon. That, combined with the lack of non-synthetic meat on the menu back at that restaurant suggests to me that I'd best practice caution around the subject.

It may well be that a trainer killing Pokemon here is regarded much the same as a Cape killing other Capes was back home. It makes a degree of sense, now that I think about it. Just to be safe, I'd better step more carefully in the future.

I don't feel any remorse for killing the Heracross, but other people may not think along the same lines as me.

A thought occurs to me. Could the Heracross have been just as intelligent as Gwen? Maybe. Hell, considering what I gathered of it's biology, I'd even say that it's likely.

I take a deep breath and let it back out.

It… still doesn't bother me an awful lot. More than before, certainly, but it's absolutely trivial in comparison to some of my other regrets, if I'm honest with myself. I shake my head, as if to dispel my thoughts. There's no use dwelling on it now.

I just need to learn from my mistakes and move forward.

* * *

I end up sleeping under a tree in the park. I release Gwen to keep watch for me - according to her, she had slept in her ball for much of the day, so it didn't trouble her.

My rest is fitful, plagued by unpleasant thoughts. What am I going to do, long term? Could I even function in a world without Capes?

Training is the obvious path to take, but what I know currently hasn't satisfied all of my doubts. Compared to people like Claire who have been immersed in Trainer culture for their entire lives, what could I even hope to bring to the table? I'll be playing catch-up for a long time. Hell, I don't even know what the top trainers do for a living. Battling, presumably - but are the winnings enough to pay rent, for example? Or are all trainers vagrants, constantly moving from town to town?

I don't want to spend the rest of my life like that. I want a place to call my own. Somewhere safe.

I'm up with the sun, hungry from skipping dinner. I unwrap one of the bars, chowing down. It tastes fruity, but looks just like the survival bars from my own dimension. Is it made from berries? I check the ingredients. Yes - it is, or, at least partially made from them, anyway. I only recognize a few of the names.

Gwen had eaten the last of my fresh berries overnight. Should I detour back to the forest to stock up? I'll need to feed my Pokemon, too. The bars I bought yesterday are apparently suitable for Pokemon too - will seven bars be enough for the three of us?

I return Gwen, thanking her for keeping watch and bring out Leo. "Hey." He yawns, stretching. "Need any illusions today?"

I shake my head. "Not today, I think. I want to know whether Pokemon get hungry inside Pokeballs. How much food will I have to bring for our trip through the desert?"

"We won't starve if we don't get food for a few days, if that's what you're asking about. But I wouldn't count on us in a battle after something like that." He sits down, laying against the tree I had slept against. "We probably won't need as much food if you keep us inside the balls for most of the time, but we'll still need one meal a day if you want us to be battling."

I nod - I've got more than enough to feed us all, then. "Alright, thanks. I'm about to head out into the desert now. Next time you're out will probably be there."

I return him. If things are as he says, I'd be best to conserve my team's energy for when I need it. Keeping them fresh inside the Pokeball will also serve to reduce how much food they need to eat, if I've understood him correctly.

I make my way towards the southern gate. Passing through, I see the vendors setting back up for the day, not yet open. Once I'm out the other side, I look out over the scenery. It's still early in the morning, so it isn't quite warm yet, but I can tell that by midday it will be uncomfortably hot.

I start walking, following the road. Within the hour, I need to stop and sort out my clothing situation. It's too hot for my coat now, and I need something to protect my face from the sun. My costume might work, but I'd prefer to only wear it from this point onward when I'm actually doing hero work.

I give the problem some thought, before arriving at a solution. I put my coat back into my bag, and tie my second shirt around my lower face and neck. I don't need to worry about sunburn on my arms and legs, thanks to my long pants and long sleeves. My hair also covers my ears well, so hopefully that will be enough.

At about the end of the first hour of walking - seven o'clock, by my watch - I reach the raised highway I had seen yesterday. It's fairly busy and is mostly used by trucks rather than cars. Where does it lead? From what I remember of my map, both directions of the road point towards the sea. The hilly terrain prevents me from seeing whether it turns north or south. Perhaps it leads between Nimbasa and Castelia?

I don't know, and it really doesn't matter.

I continue walking. After another hour, the overpass barely pokes above the horizon, and the road begins curving to the west. I haven't seen a single Pokemon yet. I've heard the sounds of fights off in the distance, but nothing has approached me.

It's around eight-thirty when a warm breeze begins blowing, and doesn't let up. A worrisome thought strikes me. Do I have to worry about a sandstorm? The terrain has been getting less rocky and much more sandy - it could be a serious risk if things continue like this.

Already, the wind is picking up sand and pelting it at me. It's blowing from behind, so thankfully I don't have to worry about being blinded too much.

I continue walking. It's hot and I'm a sweaty, sandy mess but I push through the discomfort without trouble. By around eleven, things get dangerous. It's nearing the point where I can't continue to push myself without risking hurting myself.

I need somewhere to break for rest until things cool down again.

There's nowhere in sight that would suit, though - it's all just small rocky hills and sandy plains. The small amount of shade cast by the rocks isn't enough to rest in, and wouldn't last long as the sun moves closer to midday anyway.

Off in the distance - away from the road - are larger rock formations. They'd cast enough shade for a rest, I'd wager.

On the other hand, while the road is covered in a thin layer of sand, it's a much, much better walking surface than trying to trek through something deeper. Not to mention, despite no Pokemon having approached me while I've been on the road, I can't count on the same remaining true off the road.

I sigh. That's all well and good, but if I don't cool down I'm going to risk heatstroke. Then I'd really be in trouble - wild Pokemon attacks or no. I release Gwen, explaining the situation to her. She'd be better to help protect me than Leo, since she can fly above the sand. Hopefully the breeze doesn't mess with her too badly.

I can tell that she's not exactly comfortable in the heat, but she tells me that she can handle it. I've no reason to not believe her, so I take her word for it.

I peel away from the road. Walking through the sands is far more tiring. Each step has my foot sinking an inch into the ground, meaning I had to work all that much harder just to keep going.

Gwen pivots sharply in the air, charging a Power Gem. "Watch out!"

I leap away from where she's facing. I can see the sand shifting in a way that could only be caused by something rising to the surface from underneath. An ambush?

She fires off the attack, and it peppers into whatever is causing the disturbance. Sand flies into the air in plumes where her attack strikes. Whatever it is yelps in an almost nasal tone, before scurrying back under the sands. I catch a flash of darker brown and black, but don't make out anything more than that.

Gwen spins about, trying to find where it went. I keep an eye on where it went under. It doesn't resurface. After a minute, we continue walking.

It seems that whatever it is doesn't want to deal with us after all.


	17. 2-6

The mystery Pokemon that lives under the sand hasn't made another appearance by the time Gwen and I reach the hill. The sun is such that any shade cast by the rocks would fall on the other side of the hill, so I begin climbing. Gwen flies up beside me, keeping an eye out for potential threats.

Reaching the top, I look about. The sand kicked up by the persistent gusts limits my vision - I can't really see much of anything. Just a whole lot of sand and rocks. I look down, sweat beading on my forehead.

I spot a place to rest - a rock jutting out of the hill at an angle in just the right angle. It's just big enough for me. I make my way down, settling into the shade. My forehead pulses painfully - I hadn't thought to cover it with my shirt head-wrap. I'll probably get a wicked sunburn, thanks to that.

The cool is a welcome reprieve from the harsh sunlight. I can sense many small insects - not Pokemon - under the sand nearby, staying out of the sun. They're not the type to bother me, so I put them out of my mind.

I raise my Pokeball, thanking Gwen before returning her. I'm beginning to regret being so hasty, now. I should have done research on what I needed to trek through a desert, rather than just winging it and assuming that I'd thought of everything.

I let out a sigh. I've made good time, though. If I rest until two or so, then keep going into the night I should make Castelia before my water runs out. Hell, if I really wanted to push myself, I could probably make it not too long after dawn tomorrow by setting a much more punishing pace during the cool of the night.

Unlike in the day, I wouldn't be risking heatstroke by pushing things. If I recall correctly from my time in the forest, the moon should be bright enough to see by tonight. I might be risking a Pokemon attack, but maybe I could travel with Leo?

I'm confident that I've got it in me, but doing something like that would leave me exhausted and in serious need of food and rest when I arrive in Castelia. It's a trade-off: do I want to exhaust myself getting out of the desert fast, or do I want to take it easier and stay in the desert for an extra half-day or so?

I'm partial towards the first, if I'm honest with myself. A city is an environment I understand, to an extent. Whereas out here in the wild, I'm blind to the potential pitfalls and threats. Better the devil you know, and all that.

Either way, I've still got another few hours to ponder things.

By about two, my shade has vanished under the shifting sun. The heat hasn't really dropped off yet, but the wind has let up some. I shift to the other side of the hill, finding a new spot of shade. I take the opportunity to give both Leo and Gwen an energy bar each. They eat quickly and in silence. I return Gwen, but keep Leo out for now. He looks at me, questioning.

"There's something I've been wondering. What moves do you know?" He smiles, a dumb grin crossing his face. He's about to say something silly, isn't he?

"Oh? You're interested in what moves I know? I thought you'd never ask." He stands up, spreading his arms dramatically. "I, Leo, am a master of no less than eleven different techniques! Peasants bow before my supreme skill and prowess!"

I give him a flat look, and he drops the theatrics. Still - I hadn't been expecting him to know quite so many. "Eleven? Gwen only knows five - how come you know so many?"

He gives me a sheepish smile. "Well, 'master' may have been overstating things slightly. I'm not very good at all at about half of those - I didn't have the opportunity to practice them, you see. The ones that my father passed on to me and the ones I learnt from a Technical Machine are the ones I'm best at."

Only a slight overstatement? That sounds to me like an outright lie. In any case, it makes a little more sense. Still - the fact that with a little bit of application and hard work he could learn such an array of powers is a bit of a surprise. "So, can you run me through the ones you know how to do well? I won't ask for a demonstration, but a description would be good."

"Well, I know Taunt - that'll stop my opponent from using status moves like Defend Order, Reflect or Light Screen."

A limited Master power of some sort? That sounds rather useful - if Gwen knew that technique, she could have used it to prevent Solosis from strengthening its defenses. I'm sure there's other applications for it, too - I'll have to look into it when I get a spare moment.

"The next one is Night Slash. It's sort of like Gwen's Slash, except it's charged with dark energy rather than normal energy."

Dark energy? How does it differ from 'normal energy'? Another thing to investigate later. I don't ask Leo yet - I'll have the chance to when we make it to Castelia. I just want the basics right now.

"Those two were the ones that I picked up when I was working with my old trainer. After that, I've got Flamethrower and Grass Knot. I got those two from Technical Machines. Flamethrower is pretty self-explanatory - I can manage a beam of flames about six paces long for a few seconds at a time right now. Grass Knot lets me trip my opponent over with a loop made from Grass energy. That one's more effective against heavier foes."

He's got a Pyrokinesis power, too? And Grass Energy? What's the deal with all these different types of energy? That one sounds like it's fairly limited in scope, but even still, being able to mess with the footing of people isn't something to scoff at.

His tone drops. "The last two I picked up from my Father. I only had a few weeks with him, but he was really nice. Made sure that I knew how to fight and how the world worked."

"Where is he now?"

He shakes his head. He sounds dejected. "I don't know. Back with his trainer, probably. He was a Weavile that the breeders borrowed for some reason. Something about 'high potential'." He stops, shaking his head again. "I don't know."

I reach out, patting him on the shoulder. I… can sympathise with him, in a sort of way. Leo looks up at me, surprised, but thankful for the comfort.

He lets out a sigh, rallying himself. "Anyway. That's all in the past now. He did manage to teach me how to do Dark Pulse and Snatch, though. Dark Pulse is… well, it's a burst of negativity, I suppose. It'll do dark-energy damage and might make my foe flinch. Snatch is pretty interesting - it lets me steal the effects of some status moves. Like, I could use it on Gwen while she's using Defend Order and I'll be the one who gets the defense boost."

Those would be... a Blaster technique and a Trump technique , maybe? Stealing boosts like that has all sorts of applications - would it work on Solosis' Light Screen and Reflect? Dark Pulse sounds like a Blaster power with Master effects. I'll have to mull things over and consider what sort of other uses it would have.

"Thanks, Leo. You've given me a lot to think about. Once we get to Castelia, I'll be looking for a full demonstration so I can find out how to best help you improve."

He perks up, a smile touching his face. "I'll look forward to it."

I raise his ball, returning him. I lean back, resting against the rock. Both of my teammates… They're powerful, even without training. Just how far can we go once I knuckle down and really put them on track to making the most of their powers?

* * *

By nearly four, the temperature starts to plummet. It's still uncomfortably hot, but unlike in the middle of the day it's manageable. I decide to start moving. Shouldering my bag, I release Gwen and make my way back to the road.

Unlike the first trek across the sands, nothing makes itself known. When we make it back to the road, I thank Gwen and return her.

I set off, headed towards Castelia City.

I pace myself for now. At around five or so, I come across a fork in the road. One path, headed to the north. The other to the south. The road has been going west for the past few hours - where does the north path lead? There's a faded sign next to the north road, it's lettering worn away by the desert winds.

It doesn't matter, I guess. Castelia City is to the south, so that's where I'm going.

The road continues, and the scenery starts becoming rockier again - much like it was back at the start of my trip. By five-thirty, the sun is about to set. Alright - it's decision time. I'm still fairly energized - I could keep going for at least another few hours, even if I don't push myself.

Yeah - I think that's the plan. I'll go through the night, and if I don't make it to Castelia by late morning, I'll sleep through the worst of the heat. I'm down to about half of my water, and, by my judgement, I'm a little under half of the way there.

That's an estimate, of course - I don't have a GPS - but I'm confident it's a reasonably accurate one provided that the map on my pamphlet is scaled correctly.

I release Leo. "Hey, we're about half way there and I'm planning to keep on going through the night. Do you think you should stay out with me in case of a Pokemon attack?"

He shakes his head. "I don't remember there being anything too aggressive that lives in these parts. Besides, you'll probably get enough notice to let at least one of us out if something does attack you."

I nod. It's not worth wearing him out in case we run into something really dangerous, then. I'll just have to be vigilant, in that case. "Right, thanks."

I return him, continuing on my way. I set a fast pace, now that things are starting to cool down. The sounds of the desert at night are very different to the ones during the day. There's almost no wind anymore, and the cries of the Pokemon in the distance have taken a more sinister tone.

Within a couple of hours, the road drops off into a set of stairs. I look down. It leads through a deep gully of sorts, at the bottom I can make out the shape of buildings. One of them has a light shining through the glassless window, casting light onto the surrounding buildings.

They're clearly antiquated - rough-hewn sandstone bricks stacked together topped with a large slab. The finish is ancient, the detail work absent entirely - are the buildings ruins? They certainly look the part.

There's no way that this is Castelia. No - this is probably an old outpost or something. Do I want to investigate the light, or just keep moving forward? It's probably just people camped out, but they might not be exactly friendly.

What do I stand to gain if I check in with them? I don't need a place to sleep, and they likely wouldn't share precious food or water with a stranger. A battle? I don't want to risk injuring my Pokemon unnecessarily when I'm out in the wilderness and away from the free healing machines.

Yeah - that's the right decision here. I've got nothing to gain by stopping by, and much to lose. I'll pass them without drawing attention to myself.

* * *

AN: There was a fairly significant typo last chapter. The gist of it is that I accidentally said that Taylor spent all of her money when in fact she still had 1000p left. It's been fixed now, so if you're not reading this as it's being released you don't have to worry.


	18. 2-7

I begin walking down the steps. The road passes right by the house with the light, so I'll need to be quiet. The window points out onto the building next door, facing along the length of the road. It's set up high on the wall, so I don't think there's any particular risk of being seen.

Making it to the bottom of the steps, I begin creeping forwards. There isn't any sound coming from inside the house. Is there even a person inside, or did someone just leave the light on?

Now that I'm closer, I can see that the front door to the house is barricaded by a slab of stone leant against the structure from the outside. Is that the doing of a Pokemon? Maybe it's to stop wild Pokemon from wandering inside while they sleep?

I'm creeping along the side of the house next door when the sound of a sharp pop cuts through the night. At the same time, a dull flash of yellow light shines through the window of the shack. I press up against the wall, reducing my profile.

What was that?

I palm Gwen's Pokeball. It wasn't the sound of a Pokemon being released - it's something else. Someone inside the shack speaks. "You're here. What held you up?" The voice is older, male and has an accent I can't place.

He's not talking to me - what's happening in there? There's a pause. "Right, then. Damn Greenhorns. Anyway, whatever the Boss is after isn't here. There's just a whole lot of sand. Nothing remotely like any of the things he said to look out for."

Another pause. Is he talking on a phone? That doesn't make sense considering what he said at first, but whoever he's talking to isn't making noise.

"Alright. I'll just pack up and we'll be good to go. The brief said not to leave any traces." Another, shorter pause. There's another pop and a flash. This time, the thing responsible is definitely a Pokeball - unlike the first flash and pop. "We're packing up, Hypno. Put that slab back where you found it."

I scramble back, putting the second house between me and the house that the person is inside. Whatever Pokemon he released is about to come outside and is apparently strong enough to move a massive slab of stone.

I put my free hand on the hilt of my knife. I don't want to use it, but if things come down to it, I won't hesitate. There's a hum and the sound of shifting stone. Peeking around the corner is too risky - playing it safe and staying hidden is the best option here. A few seconds later, there's a dull thud.

The man speaks again, and I have to focus to make out his words. "Return, Hypno." There's another flash and the sound of a Pokemon being put back inside it's ball. A few beats pass in silence. The light cuts off, and the sound of the man shoving something inside of a bag comes from the shack. There's the sound of a zipper, then a few more beats pass in silence. "That's everything. Let's go."

There's another pop and a flash of yellow light - the same as the first time. Ten seconds pass in silence. Then thirty seconds. Then a minute. The tension slowly bleeds from me.

He's gone.

I peek around the corner. Nobody's there. It's obvious that he hadn't meant for me to overhear any of that. But what on Earth did I even hear?

He said something about Greenhorns and a 'Boss'. It's fairly obvious to me that he's a part of some sort of organization. Corporate? Criminal? Academic? Government? I don't know.

I move over to the house, looking inside the now unbarricaded doorway. Using the screen of my cross-transceiver to light up the room, I look about. There's nothing inside but sand.

It's fairly clear to me that the flash of yellow light and the pop is the result of a Mover Power - probably teleportation. That makes sense - whoever the man had been talking to didn't say anything verbally, but was obviously communicating somehow. Maybe a Pokemon that has the ability to do both telepathy and teleportation?

And what about the man's other Pokemon - Hypno? I don't know what it looks like, but it can move a fairly hefty slab of rock pretty quickly. I cast my eyes about. Wherever he dumped it is pretty close. Across the street is a collapsed house that looks much the same as the others. On the top of the pile is the same slab of stone.

I'm doubtful that it was physically lifted there - the position of the slab within the rubble doesn't really allow for it. Telekinesis, maybe? That would be the reason for the hum the Hypno had made, perhaps.

Regardless, I want to get some distance just in case they decide to come back. I start moving, making my way through the ruins. Within about a minute, I'm at the other side of the gully and another set of stairs. Unlike the road through the town, the stairs are modern - much like the roads outside of the gully.

I begin climbing the stairs. Why was the man here? He mentioned that whatever his Boss is looking for isn't here - he gave me the impression that he didn't know the specifics, though. What does that mean? Is he being kept in the dark about it, or does his Boss not know the specifics either?

If it's the first, that suggests a fairly tight level of information security. I'm not sure what to make of the second. Given that he was told not to leave any evidence that he was there, I'm inclined to suspect the former.

Making it to the top of the stairs, I let out a sigh. The entire situation stinks to high-heaven - an academic or corporate organization wouldn't need to cover it's tracks like that.

If it's some sort of Government organization, I absolutely do not want to bring attention to myself by letting on that I overheard something suspicious to somebody.

What if the man's a member of a criminal organization? I'm not sure what to think of the idea. What sort of gang goes digging through ruins looking for non-specific objects of some description? Some sort of modern-day Tomb Raiders? That can't be right - there surely isn't enough of a market for ancient artifacts to justify that. Besides, these ruins are on a road - any potentially valuable artifacts would have long been removed.

No - if it is a criminal organization, they'd be interested in the ruins for some reason other than an artifact hustle. If they wanted to do that, they'd just hit a museum - and even then, stolen art and artifacts are very inconvenient to liquidate without attracting the attention of the authorities. It just doesn't make any sense.

I push the thoughts from my mind, focusing on the hike. Things might start to fit together once I get some first-hand experience with the gangs in this world, but for now it'll remain a mystery.

By around eleven, the road begins curving back towards the east. It's chilly, but not quite as cold as I had been expecting. There's more than enough light from the moon and the stars to see where I'm going, too - if there wasn't, I'd be far more wary of continuing on.

As things are, the walk is rather enjoyable. I'm not pushing myself as hard as I had while I was doing endurance training during my time with the Wards, but I'm still maintaining a brisk walking pace.

I zone out, focusing on just putting one foot in front of the other. By one in the morning, the lights of the city shine above the horizon, drowning out the stars. Despite myself, a smile creeps onto my face. I'm nearly there.

I keep up my pace. By two, the road begins curving to the south and the tops of skyscrapers peek above the horizon. The terrain begins changing, too - the road is no longer covered by sand, and the surroundings go from a sandy desert to a rocky flatland.

It's around four that I begin to flag. The city is within reach, but I'm running out of energy - especially after having not slept. I stop, sitting down on a rock beside the road. Food and a break should keep me going for now.

Unwrapping a bar, I begin slowly eating it alongside gulps of water. I'm down to half of my last bottle by the time I'm done with my meal. I'll need to buy another bottle when the chance presents itself - this has been a little too close for comfort. If it can be avoided, I'd rather not travel through the desert again if I can help it, but being prepared just in case couldn't hurt.

The sounds of Pokemon off in the distance have mostly quietened. Is it because I'm close to the city? Or is it just normally quiet this early in the morning?

After a few more minutes of rest, it's time for me to get back on my way. All I want to do right now is to get to the city and then collapse in bed for twelve hours. Hopefully I've got enough money to pay for a room somewhere. If not, Gwen or Leo will have to look out for me while I have a shorter nap in a park.

It's a little before dawn when the gate to the city pokes into sight above the horizon. A wave of satisfaction flows through me. I've arrived earlier than I had expected.


	19. 2-8

Castelia City is tall. I'd seen the skyscrapers hours away, but it didn't truly sink in until just now. The streets are busy with commuters, but there isn't a single car in sight. That pretty much confirms it for me - cars aren't really used to get around cities in this world.

There's a young trainer walking along the street towards the gate out to the desert, weaving between the workers with an adept grace I wave him down, putting on a smile. "Excuse me, do you know where I can find a hotel? I've just arrived."

His brows jump up. "Really? You must have been walking through the night." His expression contorts, clearly confused. "Are you looking for a Trainer Hostel, or just a normal hotel?"

The Trainer Hostels need an I.D., if my pamphlets are to be trusted - they aren't an option for me, in that case. "A hotel. Cheap would be good."

He nods. "Ah, gotcha. You'll want the Weary Sawsbuck, then. It's about half-way down third street, on the left." He points off in a direction. "Go that way until you see the street sign, then keep on heading towards the coast. You can't miss it."

"Right, thanks." I turn to leave.

He stops me before I do, "You just came in from Route Four, right? Got any tips for me before I head out? I'm on my way to Nimbasa City."

I turn back to him, looking his clothing up and down. A short sleeved sports shirt, shorts, a backwards cap and a small backpack. If he goes out there in the day, he'd be risking serious heatstroke. At night, he'd risk hypothermia.

I blink. The gate guards would have surely stopped him, wouldn't they? He can't be older than fourteen - he likely doesn't know any better. Hell, I barely knew better, myself.

"Yeah, I got loads for you. If you go out there as you are now, I'll be surprised if you don't collapse from heat stroke before midday. It's a desert out there, so travelling by day is a bad move - especially without loads of water and protection from the sun."

His eyes widen.

"You want my advice? Travel by night and rest somewhere in the shade by day. It'll be chilly and dark, but you won't be travelling in the heat. Long sleeves, long pants and something to protect your head from the sun and blown sand is a must, too. You won't make it to Nimbasa in under twenty-four hours, so plan for staying out there for a while."

His face is bewildered, but his tone is relieved. "Uhh… Really? Crap - that could have been real bad. Thanks for the tips, lady." He lets out a put-upon sigh. "Damn, I really should have thought of that myself. Looks like I need to go shopping." He waves goodbye, heading off away from the gate.

Internally, I shake my head at him. Why didn't he already know that? Travelling through the wilderness is a common practice in this world, isn't it? Surely there'd be some sort of basic survival training to stop young trainers from doing exactly what that kid had been about to do.

Whatever. I'm too tired to care right now.

I make for the direction that the kid had pointed. I'm hesitant to trust his directions, but he seemed to have been well informed about the city, at least.

I find the hotel without trouble. This part of the city is shorter and older-looking compared to the other parts I've seen so far. The hotel is five floors tall and fairly thin. Out the front is a quaint little sign depicting a deer-like Pokemon curled up asleep. The name of the hotel is emblazoned in yellow lettering around the picture. There's a sign on the door giving rates for rooms. The cheapest is five-hundred-p for a night.

Good - within my budget.

Going inside, I take in the lobby. It's got a musky smell to it and is rather small. The floor is lined with a red carpet spotted with dark stains.

The place is filthy - no wonder it's cheap.

The receptionist gives me a strained smile, asking how she could help. I ask for a room, and she sends me on my way with a key, a room service menu and a list of rules after I hand over the payment.

I drag myself up the stairs, finding my room quickly. The rules say I can't let out any Pokemon in the room, so I've got to leave Gwen and Leo inside their balls.

The room is small. There's a bathroom and a bedroom, but that's about it. It's a bit dusty, but a far sight cleaner than the lobby. I rinse the sand and dust coating me off in the shower, before changing into a set of mostly-clean clothes and collapsing in bed.

I'm out like a light.

* * *

I'm woken by the afternoon sun shining through my window into my eyes.

It's a little past three, according to my cross-transceiver. Not too much time left in the day.

The sleep left me rested, but hungry and thirsty. While I've got the chance, I refill my bottles with water from the tap in the bathroom.

What's the plan now?

The end-goal is getting I.D., obviously, but how should I go about it? Start tracking down this 'Team Rocket' that's apparently making moves here?

But what then? Work with them to get myself an I.D. from them - if they even have the connections to get one, or against them for funds to buy one myself?

If I'm honest with myself, working with them is a terrible idea - I'd be outing myself to a criminal organisation with nothing but the hopes of getting what I want.

No - joining a gang again is out of the question, I don't even want to consider it further.

...I'm A bit disgusted that I even entertained the idea in the first place. Have I learnt nothing from my life as a cape so far?

I let out a sigh, flopping down on the bed. Vigilantism it is, then.

How should I go about it? Snooping around and reporting everything I learn to the authorities? Unless they post bounties for the information, I wouldn't be getting any closer to an I.D..

Raiding them myself and taking their money looks like the only option to me. Maybe I should check just to make sure there isn't a bounty, first?

How would I even do that?

I don't know. Maybe I could call an anonymous tip-line and ask about it once I've got something to give them.

I'll have to get a burner phone before then - I need more money.

In any case, I want to have much more practice working with my team before I go looking for trouble. A few full days of drills, at the least.

I don't have the power of insect control to work with anymore, so I'll need to work harder in other areas to make up for it.

But first, food. I grab the room service menu, giving it a quick read. It's all terribly expensive. Given the state of the lobby, I'm not sure I'd trust this place to keep a clean kitchen.

Oh well - I'll just have another survival bar later. My stock should last me a day or two more. I need more money, and soon.

Now that I think about it, this entire hotel is all horribly suspicious, actually. I got a room for cheaper than lunch at a sandwich shop - is that normal for this world? Or is this just a front for money laundering or something?

...I'll keep an ear out for things. Just in case I hear something I wasn't meant to again.

I shoulder my bag, leaving my room. I want to get a start on training my team today. I've got the room until midday tomorrow, so if I don't get more money before then, I'll be sleeping outside again.

Leaving the hotel, I start walking down the street. If I were to guess, there'd be a battlefield or park fairly close to the Pokemon Centre. I'm not sure where that is, though.

I flag down a passing trainer, asking for directions to a battlefield. They point me in the right direction. I thank them, and head off.

The place isn't hard to find, and unlike Nimbasa City, is quite large - especially for a metropolitan area like Castelia City. It's essentially just half a block fenced in and filled with fields separated by stocky Cinder block dividers.

There's a sign out the front with a list of rules - fairly standard stuff, I think. Avoid damaging the walls, don't disturb the other trainers, don't use moves that could spill over to either the street or the other fields.

The fields are free and open to the public to use, no reservations necessary. I can already hear the sounds of several ongoing battles coming from inside.

I enter the archway, walking down the straight dirt path that runs between all of the fields. I glance inside each one as I pass.

A large blue monkey slightly different to the ones I saw back in the forest blasting another of the squirrel-like Pokemon with the yellow markings with torrents of water.

A burly red-skinned Pokemon with an off-white torso that looks like a Karate Gi practicing various forms under the instruction of it's trainer.

A coffin-like Pokemon with shadowy arms weathering a barrage of electricity from a bluish floating eel.

The fourth field is empty, so I head inside and release my team.

Gwen snaps to attention, looking at me questioningly. Leo cocks his head, before a realisation seemingly comes over him. The confusion is quickly replaced with a clear anticipation.

A smile breaks onto my face. I haven't gotten the chance until now, but I can finally see for myself just how much I can leverage my team's powers.

"Alright team. As you can see, we've arrived in Castelia City. Chances are, we'll be sticking around for a while. Our first priority is to get used to working with each other. I need to get familiar with your capabilities, you need to get used to working under me and in conjunction with each other."

Gwen nods, understanding. Leo speaks up, excitement coming across in his voice. "What's that going to involve?"

"Drills. Sparring. Training. Technique lessons. It'll be hard work, but my hope is that we'll come through it for the better. Now." I lower my voice, waving the pair of them in close. "Battling isn't the only thing I'll be preparing you for. I plan on taking on Team Rocket. Vigilantism, in other words. That sort of work needs a different skill set to the one that you'll use in formal battling, albeit a similar one. You will need to be proficient in both."

I step back, returning to my previous volume. "Today will be fairly basic. I'm going to ask you to show me all of your abilities, and figure out what sort of limits they've got."

I walk over to the side of the field, setting down my bag and retrieving my notepad and pen. This is the sort of thing that I want to keep notes on - my team just has too many powers to work with otherwise.

"Alright, let's get started. Run me through everything you've got again, Leo."


	20. 2-9

The description that Leo had given me of his techniques back in the desert is fairly accurate. I flip through my notebook, reviewing the notes I had taken earlier. I'm sitting against the wall of the battlefield, while Gwen and Leo are resting from their earlier exertions.

Taunt had worked as advertised, and prevented Gwen from using Defend Order, but didn't stop her from using her other techniques.

According to her, the move puts in place a sort of mental block that barred her from the knowledge of how to execute the technique temporarily. I'd asked him to try using it to put a mental block on her other moves, but he didn't see any success. Perhaps something to try more later, but I don't have much confidence in it succeeding.

Night Slash turned out to be very similar to Gwen's Slash technique. Except, rather than glowing white, Leo's claws glowed a purplish-black.

There isn't anything to test it on, so figuring out what 'dark energy' means will have to wait until later.

Leo's control over Flamethrower is disappointingly limited - he has control over the length, intensity and width of them beam within some fairly strict bounds. I had put him through as rigorous a power test as I could, given my resources, but couldn't find any other fire-related powers - in other words, it's a limited fire-based Blaster power, rather than full-on Pyrokinesis or something like that. He can't control the fire, he can't change the beam to a ball or some other shape and he can't put out his fire once something has caught alight.

Regardless, him having access to a move like this will give him lots of options. While he can't summon flaming pyres on command, being able to spray an area with fire should give him a useful area-denial tool.

Grass Knot is unusual. I'm not quite sure how I'd classify it. It's rather situational, but despite that, I think it's a valuable tool in Leo's arsenal. He had used it a few times on both Gwen and I, and each time the loop of solidified 'Grass energy' - whatever that means - tripped us. Gwen was almost entirely unfazed by the experience - needing to do little more than slip out of the loop and return to the air. I, on the other hand, was tripped no matter what I did. Even if I stood completely still, the loop tore my footing out from under me. Even worse, the resulting falls were rather painful, even despite my best efforts to land properly. That's saying something - I know a thing or two about both keeping my footing and landing correctly.

Leo says he has no control over how the loop forms, only who he targets. That makes me suspect that the loop will always form in a particular way such that it will always trip up the target. Already, I can think of a handful of very useful situations the move is perfect for - tripping someone who is either pursuing or fleeing from us in order to give us time to either get away or catch up, for example. Even incorporated into a more conventional fighting style it could be very useful.

I'm still not sure what Dark Pulse is. Leo said it's 'Negativity', but that doesn't mean much to me. The technique lets him send a burst of the stuff out from himself in a planar fashion. He can limit the plane to be directional, but he can't aim it in two non-aligned directions at once. It's fairly short-ranged - maybe five or six strides at most before it fizzles out into nothing. Like Night Slash, I don't have anything to test it on, so I can't really say what sort of damage it does. According to him, it's one of his most powerful techniques, so if I were to speculate, it'd be very useful to punish opponents who get too close.

Snatch is interesting. Like Leo had said, it could steal Gwen's Defend Order from her as she uses it. What piqued my interest, however, is the fact that Gwen can simply use another Defend Order for herself - both shields maintained themselves without any appreciable decrease in effectiveness. The combination has potential - Leo doesn't have any way to bolster his defenses, so since he can piggy-back off of Gwen's power, we can essentially give him a Brute rating on demand. According to Gwen, then experience is unpleasant, but nothing that she couldn't push through if the situation required it.

Gwen had also ran me through her moves again, but I hadn't learned anything new from it.

I stand up, putting my notepad away then checking my watch. Good news - sundown is still a little while away. "Alright, team. We've got enough light left in the day for a bit more. Let's get back into it." The pair assembles in front of me, waiting for me to explain. "The next thing I want to go over is technique. The both of you have a Slash attack. From what I've seen, Gwen knows how to use it fairly well, but Leo is still clumsy with it. I'm going to teach you how to best leverage your strength for maximum damage."

I continue explaining, my audience enraptured. I'm by no means an expert, but I know enough to be able to teach the basics. I draw my knife, holding it in a grip that best replicated how Gwen and Leo use their claws.

"Now, if you're looking to disable someone's arm, you're going to want to move like this-" I demonstrate a heavy slash "-pay attention to my shoulders and my hips-" I do it again "-this will let you leverage your upper-body strength the most. Remember, slashes are debilitating because they cut muscles - if things come down to it, you're going to want to be able to inflict wounds with both depth and breadth."

They nod, hopefully understanding. "Alright, have a go for yourself."

They step back, empowering their claws. Gwen goes first, she darts forward, bringing her arm down. Her technique is good - she doesn't have to worry about proper footing. The way she had been doing it before was almost the same, but to my eye this should be slightly better.

I nod to her. "Good stuff. Leo?"

He steps in, swiping at an imaginary opponent. His form is sloppy - he's still has a ways to go, but even that showing is worlds ahead of the wild slashes he had directed at me back when we had fought. Or, at least, as best as I could tell from my insect-proprioception while my eyes were myseclosed.

...That reminds me - I can't sense any fleas on him anymore. Since when did that happen? Back in the forest, he was absolutely covered in them. But now, he's completely clean.

Was it his Pokeball that removed them? He hasn't gone through the healing machine at the Pokemon Centre yet, unlike Gwen, so it must have been - I doubt he could have removed them himself, in any case.

I guess that saves me the trouble of removing them myself..

"It's an improvement, but you're not quite there yet. Here, look closer - you're using too much elbow, and not enough shoulder."

I demonstrate again, and motion for him to try once more.

I spend the rest of the day running through the basics - more technique training, where to hit someone if you want to disable something without hurting them too badly, the spots to avoid if you don't want to risk doing serious damage and so on. I doubt it has truly sank in for either of them just yet, but some hands-on experience should definitely cement the knowledge for them.

I'm not nearly satisfied with where they're at however - the three of us have quite a bit of work ahead of us.

Finances are a problem. I'm going to need to also set aside some time to do some battling - at least enough to pay for food. Preferably for a room as well.

Of course, that would all change if I were to raid a gang storehouse… but again, we aren't ready for that.

I feel like I'm thinking myself in circles here.

Back in my hotel room, I flop down onto the bed, letting out a sigh. The room is booked until tomorrow morning. I'll have to try to find someone to battle after check out. I'm satisfied with the progress my team has made so far, though. They've got the makings of a terrifying duo, if they can learn to work together. I've got a feeling that the Snatch-Defend Order synergy may only be the tip of the iceberg - given time, I'm certain that we'll be able to think up more potent gambits.

There wasn't much progress made towards those ends today, but what I've observed of the two so far suggests that the two don't have any animosity towards each other, which is a great start, if nothing else.

Gwen is… cold. Detached. I can't recall seeing any overt displays of emotion from her. Is that just her personality, or a trait of Bug Pokemon? On the other hand, Leo is almost flighty - I've noticed that he'll flop between moods at the flick of a switch, but typically keeps up an exuberant demeanor.

It doesn't take a genius to predict that Leo may end up grating on Gwen, but that doesn't seem to have been the case so far.

I sigh, rolling over onto my back, closing my eyes. The time to worry about that is when it becomes a problem. My thoughts wander, flitting from one concern to another, unable to find peace.

Eventually, sleep claims me and I drift off into a fitful rest.


	21. 2-Interlude: Kenneth

Not paying attention to the voice chattering away in my ear, I turn the corner, walking down the street towards the battlefields. They're usually full this late in the morning, but I may as well at least check to see if there is a space. She stops, and I take it as my cue to respond. "Yeah, ma - everything's fine. Don't worry - I'm in Castelia City ri-"

My mother cuts me off, her voice coming through my cross-transceiver earphone painfully loud. I scramble to thumb the volume wheel down to a more comfortable level with a wince.

"Castelia? The news says Team Rocket has been spotted there - are you staying safe? Getting inside at a reasonable hour? Staying out of shady alleys?"

I suppress a sigh. Ma's always been a bit of a worry-wart. I'd hoped that she'd get the message once I left on my journey, but apparently not.

"Of course, Ma. Now -" She starts to speak up, but I cut her off. "- I gotta get going. Thanks for the call."

I tap the button to cut the connection before she can protest. There's no way that she isn't mad at me for that. A pang of guilt hits me before I shove it down. I need to do this by myself. There's no point in going on a journey if you've got someone looking over your shoulder all the time.

I unplug the earphone, shoving it into my pocket. I'm coming up to the entrance to the battlefields now. Walking inside, there's another trainer going down the path ahead of me. She's older - tall, long black hair, rugged clothes. As I move down the path, I see that each battlefield is already occupied. The other trainer reaches the end of the path and turns onto one of the fields.

Damn - all of the others are probably full, then.

...Maybe I should ask if she's willing to share? She's probably pretty experienced, considering her age. Would she even be willing to give a newbie like me the time of day?

I reach the end, confirming that all of the other fields are full. There's no harm in at least asking - I step into the doorway, and she turns her head to look at me from the other side of the field, one of her eyebrows cocked in an unspoken question.

"Uh... " I swallow. She's a lot scarier when she's looking at me like that. Her gaze is piercing, and I can't help but notice that one of her hands is grasping something hidden by her coat. A Pokeball, maybe? "Do you mind if we share a field?"

She considers my request, letting go of whatever's inside her coat as she turns to face me properly. I can see now that there's only two balls clipped to her belt. A thin smile crosses her face as she looks me up and down.

"Sure thing." She pauses a beat. "If you'll battle me first. One-on-one. Five-hundred-p cash wager." Her voice is humourless.

Figures - she'll want some compensation for the trouble. No doubt her Pokemon will be able to destroy mine no matter what sort of strategies I try to use. I tap my pocket, confirming that the change I got from buying breakfast is still there. In any case, it's not too bad a deal.

"...Alright." I palm a ball. I can't count on whoever I use to battle still being able to train until I get them to a centre, so I'll want to use someone who needs training the least… Buck, then. I'd hoped to have him training by himself while I helped the others, but I guess that'll have to wait.

She steps to the trainer's square on her end of the field, grabbing a Pokeball from her belt. Her eyes are locked on me, watching my every move.

...It's uncomfortable.

I want to get this over quickly. I toss my ball, catching it on the rebound as it pops open. The other trainer simply points hers at the field and releases her Pokemon with a squeeze. Buck materializes, assuming a ready stance in an instant.

The other trainer's Pokemon materializes. It's a humanoid bug, floating off the ground with a pair of stubby wings. I don't recognise it, but it's very obviously a Bug-Flying type - a very bad matchup for a Fighting type like Sawk. I let out a sigh - I didn't have much hope for Buck winning in the first place, but this is just plain unlucky.

Buck just doesn't have anything to deal with this - the type advantage is just too much.

Still, I inject determination into my voice. We might not have much of a chance, but we damn well will fight our hardest! "Alright Buck, Focus Energy into Double Kicks! Don't give them room to breathe!"

The other trainer nods. "Keep your distance, Gwen. Defend Order."

The Bug flies backwards, a stream of bees coming from her lower-body covering her before melting into an aura. Buck stiffens, channeling his energy into his muscles. In an instant, he bursts forward, foot slamming into the Bug with a fury.

The other trainer's eyebrow quirks up, her mouth pressing into a thin line. "Slash."

Unfazed by the assault, Gwen darts under one of Buck's high kicks, claw glowing white with Normal energy. The attack rips into Buck's chest, throwing him away.

"Get back in close!"

"Keep back! Power Gems!"

Power Gem? That's a Rock type move - it's not very effective against Fighting types like Buck. Why is she using that? Maybe Gwen doesn't have any other ranged options?

Buck runs forward, long strides eating up the distance. Gwen lifts off into the air, sending glowing energy crystals at her opponent. The crystals splash into shimmering motes of light against Buck, doing little more than scratching him.

He jumps into the air, leg reared backwards for another kick. He twists mid-air, sending his foot spinning into Gwen. The attack throws her off balance, and she spirals to the ground, unable to stay afloat.

Despite the solid connection, she doesn't seem to be so much as sore. Buck, on the other hand, is looking rough - Gwen's Slash must have been a serious hit.

If we're going to win this, we'll need luck on our side. The kicks don't seem to be doing much. Maybe a chop will work better? I doubt it, but we don't have any other options. "Karate Chop!"

The other trainer speaks up once more, her face a perfect mask of self-assurance. "Slash."

Buck runs in, his hand powering up with Fighting energy. Gwen merely floats in place, her beady eyes locked on to him with an intent focus. He raises his hand, bringing it down with a single-minded confidence. Gwen darts to the side, but Buck's attack unerringly tracks her.

The chop connects, sending Gwen once more to the ground with a hollow thud. This time, Gwen looks like she was hurt by that. Good: we've got a chance!

Her response isn't far behind, however. She snaps her claw forward, sheathed in energy. The attack rakes across Buck's chest and he's sent spinning.

Buck stumbles, tumbling onto the ground of the battlefield bonelessly.

"No!" Despite myself, a cry escapes my lips.

We were so close…

I tip my head. I should have just forfeited the fight... Raising Buck's Pokeball, I return him.

Walking to meet the trainer in the middle of the field, I rally myself. I hadn't expected to win anyway, and hopefully Buck will have at least learnt a bit about how to deal with opponents like Gwen from that.

It's a bit disappointing, but I need to look on the bright side here.

She extends a hand to me. "Good match. Buck's form on that Karate Chop was great."

I take the compliment for what it is, a smile touching my face. "Thanks" I take her hand, shaking it. "Gwen seems like an almost perfect counter to Fighting type Pokemon to me. Did you train her that way?"

She shakes her head, a look of confusion briefly flickering across her face. "Not really. I guess it just sort of turned out like that."

Nodding, I grab my change from my pocket, handing over the wager. "The name's Kenneth. Good to meet you."

"Taylor. Now, my team and I are going to be running drills. We'll probably only need half of the field - that work for you?"

"Sure thing." I pause for a moment. I'd been worried that Buck wouldn't be fit for training after the battle, but a trip to the centre should fix that up. "If you don't mind, I might quickly run to the centre to get Buck healed. You'll still be here when I get back?"

She nods, turning to walk back to the other side of the field. "Go for it."

I take that as my cue to leave. The centre is only a few minutes away, so I make it there and back in a short amount of time.

Walking back into the fields, I see Taylor quietly explaining something to her Pokemon. She turns to acknowledge me, and quickly turns back.

What catches my attention is her other Pokemon.

A Zoroark! How did she find one? I've heard that they are practically non-existent in the wild. Did she get it from a breeder, maybe?

In any case, I need to rethink my evaluation of her. If she only has two Pokemon, perhaps she isn't as experienced as I thought?

I'd had her pegged as a six-badge trainer, but I think that might be a bit generous if she's only got two Pokemon. Even more so considering that Buck managed to hold his own against Gwen for at least a little while.

Or maybe she isn't taking the gym challenge? If she's a security guard or something, it would make sense that she'd have only two Pokemon that she works closely with. She's certainly built for it - I didn't notice until we shook hands, but that coat of hers hides some pretty serious muscles.

I shake my head, dispelling the thoughts. It doesn't really matter, in the end. I need to prepare for my battle with Burgh. None of my team is really a direct counter to Bug Pokemon - I'll need to prepare well.

I set about releasing my team, running them through the training for today. Buck will be working by himself, and I'll be leading Chisel and Pluff through some more direct instruction. I doubt Pluff will be much help against Burgh - Cottonee just don't learn the right moves to deal with Bugs; and that's even discounting the type disadvantage. It looks like Chisel will be the keystone of my strategy, in that case.

My starter… He's a surly prick, if I'm honest. I think he resents me - not that he'd ever let me know it. My guess is that it's because my father didn't give him a choice in the matter. He's the son of my father's Bisharp, and I suspect that he would have been perfectly content to stay behind and be trained by his own father, rather than me.

Buck has been crucial in keeping him reigned in - the two train together frequently. I dread to think how Chisel would be acting if he didn't have someone to work through his anger with.

Shaking myself from my thoughts, I begin instructing my team. Pluff needs to work on being slippery enough to let Leech Seed drain her opponents dry, and Chisel needs to work on ending fights decisively. They'll be battling against each other, and I'll chime in with advice when I spot something.

Stepping back, I watch the two of them go at it. They're good - we've been doing this routine for a while now, so Chisel and Pluff know how to fight each other fairly well. Curious, I flick my eyes over to see what Taylor and her team are doing. Despite myself, my eyes widen - she's got a knife!

What the heck is she doing!?

The Zoroark darts in, taking a swipe at her. She steps backward, fist rocketing downward into its elbow in retaliation.

...She's fighting her own Pokemon?

Crap - she's one of those psychos, then. I've heard of them before, of course - heck, even Marshal has been known to throw down with his Pokemon. But that's with punches and kicks! Isn't a knife a bit much!?

I firmly turn back to my own Pokemon. Whatever she's doing isn't my business. Besides, if she fights Pokemon as a way to train them, there's no way in heck that I want to get in her way.

That security guard theory seems a lot more plausible to me now - they need to be able to fight too, don't they? What about something else? She doesn't look like a Police officer. But maybe she could be a freelance detective or something?

...Actually, I don't want to know. I'm curious, but not nearly enough to risk asking her about it.


End file.
